It's not perfect. It's parenting.
Sometimes you need answers to the little everyday things that parents encounter. And sometimes, you just need someone to encourage you through all of the craziness and challenges of parenthood. Welcome to Parent-ish.
Category: Teen
The Great Cover-Up
There are a lot of parents in the world. I don’t know the exact number or percentage but it’s a lot. We can all agree there are a lot of parents. And with parents come opinions. You’ll receive parenting advice whether you seek it out or not. Some of it is solid advice, some unsolicited. There are no right or wrong answers. Even the “parenting experts” don’t always get everything right.
Is my child being bullied?
Children often experience issues at school that go beyond classwork. Kids may have a fight with a friend, or they aren’t sitting by the same group of kids at lunch anymore. While we often worry kids are being bullied, they may not be. One of the most misunderstood issues is if a child is being bullied, or if it’s actually conflict. Parents and students alike often use bullying as a blanket statement for many issues, but there are important key differences between bullying and conflict, and differences in how to address each.
A back-to-school refresher on school avoidance
Back-to-school nights have come and gone and calendars have quickly filled with school activities. Most students have settled into their school routine. But for some, being back in school might be a struggle. School avoidance can emerge, consciously or not. Knowing what to look for allows you to address it and ask for help if needed.
Addicted to Awake: The Consequences of Energy Drinks in Adolescents
How often do you come across advertisements for energy drinks: once or twice a week, or perhaps every day on your morning commute? Rarely do we escape a day without energy drink companies promoting how they can “give you wings” or provide the five hours of energy you need to make it through the afternoon grind. As a parent, you may see past the misleading marketing, but can we say the same about the effect these ads have on our children and adolescents, especially when advertisements specifically target this population?
5 simple steps to keep your kids germ-free
Now that back to school time is in full swing, so are the germs! It might sound simple, but handwashing is truly like a “do-it-yourself” vaccine that stops the spread of germs. In fact, regular handwashing, is one of the best ways to keep from getting sick.
Dangerous vaping epidemic: 5 things parents need to know
What once was thought to be a harmless habit has now turned into a national crisis. Hundreds of people have been recently diagnosed with acute lung injury after vaping. Six people across the U.S. have died. Because of this crisis, health officials are now urging people to stop vaping immediately. The latest statistics show that 1 out of 5 young adults is vaping. Even if your child is not vaping, someone in your life might be. All the news recently about vaping can be overwhelming, so here is a quick list of the top things you need to know.
Under-scheduled and unapologetic
Children are busier than they ever have been. From organized sports, to music lessons, to church activities, to scouts their schedules are jam-packed. In fact, kids are so busy it prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to issue recommendations to pediatricians to “prescribe” play for young children. Sounds crazy, but sometimes kids (or should we say parents) need to be reminded to simply play. And as parents, it’s our job to make sure they are getting that time to play in a safe and supportive environment that doesn’t always have an agenda.
Headaches and kids: what parents need to know
It’s back to school time, which can add a lot of excitement and stress to life. If your kid experiences frequent headaches, you are not alone. More than 40,000 kids in the Kansas City metro suffer from headaches. The good news is that headaches aren’t usually serious, but they can still be debilitating and impact quality of life.
Talking to kids about tragedies
No parent wants to have to talk about tragic events with their kids, no matter what age they are. Whether something terrible happened close to home or in the headlines, knowing what to say and how to help kids cope isn’t easy.
What the heck is social jet lag and why it’s harmful to your teen
Does this sound like your teenager – stays up late on the weekend and sleeps in the next day or takes frequent naps to “catch up” on some Zs.
Sports and mental wellness: 8 things parents need to know
Being a teenager can be a complex time in life. The teen years are a time of tremendous growth, change, challenges and self-discovery. Sports can create amazing opportunities for growth for a teen, and at the same time sports also introduces its own unique set of challenges. Student-athletes are usually high-achievers with high expectations, and the demands they feel from parents, coaches and peers can be massive. It’s not surprising the pressure to excel can lead to high anxiety and depression when faced with challenges. Giving your kid the skills they need to regulate emotions will help make them a healthier and more successful person on-and-off the field.
Teens and periods: When is pain not normal?
When we hear the word “period,” most women think of the monthly menstrual period. Many of us have grown up associating periods with painful cramping and heavy bleeding, something that we just have to endure. But that’s simply not the case!
Tips for talking to your kids about sexual orientation
Families are diverse and don’t look the same for each child. It’s not unusual for someone to have two mommies or two daddies. If your kids are curious – like most children are – they may ask you about it. These questions are a great opportunity to share information with your child about important topics like sexual orientation and healthy relationships. Through providing health care to teens for the past decade, I’ve picked up some tips on how to talk with my kids that I hope can help you. Let’s start with the basics of sexual orientation.
Stressing about what to do with your teen this summer? Relax. We have a few ideas.
Summer is coming. You have a teen at home. Did your heart just start pounding a little faster? Don’t freak out. We at Parent-ish have compiled a whole list of ideas to help keep your teen busy this summer.
Kids and springtime allergies: 6 mistakes you might be making
After a long and cold winter, spring is finally here. And now that the temperatures are warming up, it’s also time for that other season—the one that’s just a little less exciting: allergy season.