Archive: Teens
Salvia: A 'Drug of Concern'
Salvia divinorum is not your average herb. But it is easy to grow and dangerous to ingest. And because it is easy and legal in many places to obtain, particularly over the Internet, it has developed a growing market in young adults. The Drug Enforcement Administration has classified the plant...
By Stacey Garfinkle | July 3, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (29)
The Gloucester Girls
"Did you hear about the girls in Gloucester?" That line's come up several places over the past few days ... in the comments on Friday, at Shabbat dinner with friends. So, even though we just talked teen pregnancy with Baby Borrowers, this one's still worth more conversation. Here's the story...
By Stacey Garfinkle | June 23, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (100)
The Baby Borrowers: An Inside Mom's View
Remember high school sex ed when the teacher coupled us off and gave us an egg to "raise?" Crack the egg and you fail. Well, NBC, working with the National Campaign Against Teen Pregnancy, has turned that into a six-week reality TV show that begins airing at 9 p.m. Wednesday...
By Stacey Garfinkle | June 20, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (52)
A Lesson of Death
"Every 15 Minutes" is a program designed to give teenagers a real-life view into drunk driving death. Here's how the program's supposed to run, according to Every15Minutes.com: During the first day events the "Grim Reaper" calls students who have been selected from a cross-section of the entire student body out...
By Stacey Garfinkle | June 17, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (40)
Bunk Bed Boo-Boos
With two boys ages 6 and 4, the idea of buying bunk beds has crossed our minds more than a few times. Friends have them and love the camaraderie the children feel sleeping top to bottom in the same room. At one house, the bunk bed has been more like...
By Stacey Garfinkle | June 3, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (25)
Mother-Daughter Spa Time
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/BeautySecrets/Story?id=4881675&page=1
By Stacey Garfinkle | May 28, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (48)
Prom Fashion or Faux Pas?
Marche Taylor showed up at her Madison High School prom in Houston earlier this month wearing a barely-there dress. Not just semi-topless. Not just backless. But truly more skin than fabric. The 17-year-old told KHOU-TV, "I actually liked the dress, everybody else liked the dress." But not quite everyone. A...
By Stacey Garfinkle | May 21, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (79)
What Did Your Family Eat This Weekend?
Oh, the horror. Soccer ends for both boys, resulting in two parties/award ceremonies. Add to that two birthday parties, and needless to say, the weekend -- and the boys' bellies -- were filled with their share, and more, of junk food. Chips? Check. Pizza? Check. Donuts. Check. Cake. Check. Juice....
By Stacey Garfinkle | May 19, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (74)
Your Parents Are Watching ... and Watching ... and Watching
Mom: What did you do today? Child: Nothing Mom: Who did you play with? Child: No one Mom: What did x teacher do in x class? Child: Blah Anyone else have this conversation play out regularly in their house? The more detailed I can get in the types of questions...
By Stacey Garfinkle | May 7, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (41)
Will Travel ... With Kids
Are you planning a trip this summer? If so, you might want to take a few trip tips from Christian Science Monitor contributor P.A. Moed, who's been there, done that with a now teen-aged son since he was small. * Give your kids a taste of the culture you'll be...
By Stacey Garfinkle | May 6, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (51)
Do As I Say...
Ever pulled a moonie in public? Ever get so drunk the world spun? Ever sit around a frat house with a bong going around the room? Ever look at porn on the Internet? Ever drink and drive? While some may have lived squeaky clean lives, chances are many parents tried...
By Stacey Garfinkle | May 5, 2008; 07:20 AM ET | Comments (21)
Computer Time for All Ages
Welcome to On Parenting's occasional guest blog feature, where we welcome parenting bloggers from around the Web. If you'd like to join the guest blogging party here at On Parenting, please e-mail parenting@washingtonpost.com. By Leticia Barr Since I began writing about children and technology, I've been asked many questions. One...
By Stacey Garfinkle | April 15, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
The Dangers of Sport
Four-year-old is the kind of child who jumps, tumbles and slides whenever -- and wherever -- possible. He's gone through phases of only brushing his teeth while doing a headstand on a couch and performing jumping somersaults off the couch onto the hard-wood floor. That's when I first coughed up...
By Stacey Garfinkle | April 9, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (42)
Plastic Surgery for Teens
On Saturday, an 18-year-old high school cheerleader from Florida died from complications related to plastic surgery. The girl was having surgery to correct asymmetrical breasts and inverted nipples, the Palm Beach Post reported, when she may have had a deadly reaction to anesthesia. Nearly 225,000 plastic surgeries were performed last...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 28, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (74)
Judging Books
My greatest love when I was little was reading. I'd often have multiple books going at one time. Long after my parents had said goodnight, I could be found under the covers with a flashlight, unwilling to put a book down. At bookstores, I'd sit myself down between the aisles,...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 27, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (57)
Home Is Where the Learning Is
On Feb. 28, the Second District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles ruled that school-aged children in the state of California are required to be taught by credentialed teachers. What has ensued over the past month has been a furor in the home-schooling community, with articles and editorials in the...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 26, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (59)
STDs Are Prevalent in Teen Girls
Add sexually transmitted diseases to the list of topics you should talk with your kids about early and clearly more often. One in 4 teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease. That's the latest information from research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of 838 girls in...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 13, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (79)
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow
Here we go again. Another kid suspended from school because of his hair. This time the offending child is 6-year-old Bryan Ruda of Parma, Ohio. Parma Community School apparently warned Bryan's mother twice before that his Mohawk violated the charter school's dress code, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports. The elementary school...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 3, 2008; 07:10 AM ET | Comments (39)
The Languages We Speak
Forget music and gymnastics. The big "is-my-kid-keeping-up" trend these days is all about language; that is, how many languages your child is learning. The New York Times jumped on the trend in an article earlier this week: "If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Spanish." While no one knows how much...
By Stacey Garfinkle | February 7, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (40)
Bringing Up Voters
The election process. Presidential candidates are all over the news. Canvassers are arriving at our doorstep. One even blocked me from getting 4-year-old's bike out of the house over the weekend. Annoying "researchers" are calling daily during dinner. And still, I felt a small moment of pride the other night...
By Stacey Garfinkle | February 6, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (43)
Hurts That Stick
Not so long ago, I had one of those weeks we'd all rather forget. You know the kind: Ankle sprain, second-degree burns and a hit-and-run car accident. While recovery from the ills took much longer than the week it took to incur everything, there were some terrific side benefits. Let's...
By Stacey Garfinkle | February 1, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Dating Rules Do Apply
When it comes to dating in a world where teens text and post on each other's "walls," in a world where a comment on a Facebook or MySpace page can circulate to thousands in the blink of an eye, are there new rules we parents should contemplate? Bill Albert, the...
By Stacey Garfinkle | January 16, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (34)
Sibling Love and War
Before son No. 2 was born, husband and I spent a great deal of time planning to help his older brother welcome the new addition to the family. We talked with him about babies. We combed the library for sibling arrival books, eventually settling on and loving "Talk, Baby" by...
By Stacey Garfinkle | January 4, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (21)
16 and Pregnant
News Flash: Sixteen-year-old teen Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant. Spears, the sister to Britney and "Zoey 101" star, told OK! Magazine that she plans to raise the baby. "I put myself in this position, an adult position, so I have to act like an adult and take responsibility for what...
By Stacey Garfinkle | December 20, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (160)
The Start of a College Trend?
Last week, Harvard announced a new policy on paying for an education at the elite, Ivy League college. Some of the highlights: * Families with incomes between $60,000 and $180,000 will pay a sliding scale tuition up to 10 percent of income. * Grants will replace the usual loans in...
By Stacey Garfinkle | December 19, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (34)
Recording Memories
Ever since we became parents, people have asked whether we've shot video of fun childhood moments. Not just first roll, first steps, first words. But the kind of moments our kids might never believe. Like 6-year-old talking about his career plans to run Legoland and charge everyone $1 -- or...
By Stacey Garfinkle | December 14, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Get Your Game On
G. PG. PG-13. R. Do you know what I'm referring to? My guess is that most of us recognize these movie ratings and know what they mean. How about these? EC. E. E10+. T. M. AO. Chances are far fewer of us know what these are, according to the 12th...
By Stacey Garfinkle | December 6, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
The Holiday-Birthday Mashup
With Hanukkah now in full swing and Christmas coming soon, it's easy to get caught up in that holiday spirit. But in our house, other big days are coming. Child No. 1 turns 6 this week, right in the middle of Hanukkah. Luckily, he's excited that he gets more than...
By Stacey Garfinkle | December 5, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (107)
In Crime, Some Teens Become Adults
One of the four men arrested in the murder of Sean Taylor isn't a man, yet. He's just a teenager. The 17-year-old is facing felony murder and armed robbery charges. Youth facing the adult criminal court system aren't that unusual according to the Associated Press, which reports that roughly 200,000...
By Stacey Garfinkle | December 3, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (27)
Kids Don't Come Cheap
A couple of days ago, many of you discussed issues that keep you up at night. Sarah started it off: I'm kept up at night wishing I could afford to stay at home with my kids instead of working, and still afford a roof over the head, to repay the...
By Stacey Garfinkle | November 16, 2007; 07:15 AM ET | Comments (74)
Driven to Distraction
So far this month, seven teenage drivers and passengers have died in car crashes in Maryland. And the reality is they are part of a worrisome trend that's been going on for years. Motor vehicle crashes are the top killer of teens, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,...
By Stacey Garfinkle | November 15, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (52)
Parent-Teacher Conferences
The first marking period of the school year ended last week, which means parent-teacher conferences. And I've got to admit, the buildup to the conference has me a bit nervous. First off, the school has spent the past two months or so evaluating my son. The teacher has said that...
By Stacey Garfinkle | November 8, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (51)
Hovering's Not Always Bad
We've all seen them. Maybe we're even one of them. The dreaded "helicopter" parents. You know the ones: Per the stereotype, they hover over every homework assignment. They drive or walk their kids everywhere. They track kids cellphones and put video cams in cars and under couches to watch nannies...
By Stacey Garfinkle | November 7, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (25)
The Debate: Public vs. Private vs. Home School
Back in the early '70s, my mother had given up on public schooling, but my dad saw no reason his kids couldn't go to public school like he did. That lasted until my mother learned that my sister was sleeping through classes and getting straight A's and my brother was...
By Stacey Garfinkle | October 19, 2007; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (59)
12 Going On... 16
Meet Naomi. She's 12 going on 13. And if our children turn out anything like her, we could all do a lot worse. Naomi is the latest interviewee in onBeing by Post videographer Jenn Crandall. To Naomi, becoming a teenager means more expectations of maturity, more responsibility, more complex social...
By Stacey Garfinkle | October 12, 2007; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (11)
It's Off to School We Go
"Are you sad?" "Will you cry?" Those are two questions I keep hearing from moms who've been where I am today -- the first day of kindergarten. And one thing is certain: My 5-year-old is ready for this transition. At the school's open house on Friday, he happily roamed around...
By Stacey Garfinkle | August 27, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Family, Family, Where Art Thou?
Kids just want to spend time with Mom and Dad. That's the word from a recent poll on the subject, this one by The Associated Press and MTV. And that's just what this last week before school has been about for us. We bustled everyone into the car for a...
By Stacey Garfinkle | August 24, 2007; 11:00 AM ET | Comments (16)
Can Your Kids Unplug?
An intrepid journalism teacher at American University made the following assignment to her students: Turn off all media for 24 hours and write about it. Her students were stunned. No phone -- cell or otherwise? No computer? No iPod? No radio? To our kids, life without machine is a lot...
By Stacey Garfinkle | August 6, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (42)
What a Chore!
Is getting your kids to do their chores a challenge? If so, check out Chore Wars, a free online game that launched this month. The game takes some setup time. The group administrator assigns points (i.e. minutes a chore takes) to different tasks. And then the war is on ......
By Stacey Garfinkle | July 30, 2007; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (25)
The Subjects That Are Left Behind
Bye, bye social studies. Adios, science. School these days is all about reading and math. Okay, maybe not all, but it sure seems that way. According to a Center on Education Policy report released this week examining school subjects since the beginning of the 'No Child Left Behind Act,' 36...
By Stacey Garfinkle | July 27, 2007; 06:22 AM ET | Comments (133)
Look Inside, Girls
Yet another reason to worry about obese girls. A new study by University of Texas at Austin sociologist Robert Crosnoe says that fat kids have more academic problems at school and are less likely to attend college. The issue is particularly pronounced in girls, Crosnoe says, particularly those who attend...
By Stacey Garfinkle | July 26, 2007; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (77)
Manners -- Are They Really Forgotten?
According to Sierra on Friday in the comments, "Manners have been out of fashion for the past 30 years but I hear they are making a comeback. I only hope and pray it is soon." Sierra's not the only one to mention a lack of manners in kids these days....
By Stacey Garfinkle | July 16, 2007; 07:20 AM ET | Comments (183)
Food Fear
Apparently, it's not just me who's noticed: More kids these days are being diagnosed with food allergies. According to Sally Squires's Lean Plate Club column today, 8 percent of kids aged 2 and younger have a food allergy. Some will outgrow them, some won't. In 2003, a leading allergy specialist,...
By Stacey Garfinkle | July 10, 2007; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (108)
The Debate: Teen Drinking
Whether we parents like it or not, many teens drink alcohol before they reach the legal drinking age. According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, 51 percent of those aged 18 to 20 were "current" alcohol users in 2005. A look at those younger than 18 shows...
By Stacey Garfinkle | July 6, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (152)
Where Charity Begins
This week, The Washington Post launched a package called Worlds United about 11 teenage girls who are spending part of their summer in South Africa teaching girls in a poor town how to play soccer. The girls also will take HIV/AIDs classes with the girls in the town, Port Elizabeth....
By Stacey Garfinkle | June 28, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (34)
When The Kids Turn Independent
"Once they're eight or nine, the ball is rolling down the hill. You'd better have taught them well by then," said colleague Chet in a conversation recently about teens and beach week. Chet is a father to four, including one son who decided not to go to beach week and...
By Stacey Garfinkle | June 20, 2007; 06:45 AM ET | Comments (97)
Facebook Friends
An amazing thing happened last week. My teenage niece and nephew actually allowed me to become their "Facebook" friends. It all started a couple of weeks ago when colleagues began building Facebook pages and looking at applications and groups. So, I figured it was time for me to better understand...
By Stacey Garfinkle | June 13, 2007; 06:45 AM ET | Comments (21)
How Teens Shop
Today, The Washington Post and washingtonpost.com publish an exhaustive look at teens in one of their natural habitats -- the mall. The stories, videos, photo galleries and unique interactive map are both enlightening and heartening. Here's what I learned from these 61 teenagers (60 of whom are girls): Teens are...
By Stacey Garfinkle | June 4, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
The Debate: The Allison Stokke Story
Have you heard about Allison Stokke yet? Seen her picture? If not, you may be one of the few. Earlier this week, The Post's Eli Saslow wrote about how a simple photo taken at a high-school track meet has turned into an Internet legend -- and given the teenager much...
By Stacey Garfinkle | June 1, 2007; 07:10 AM ET | Comments (86)
Supernanny's 'Seeds'
"Supernanny" was in town this past weekend. No, not British nanny Jo Frost herself, but the show's casting producers. And a funny thing happened: The turnout at their casting call was slim pickings. The show put a good spin on it. Casting producer Kim Clevenger told The Post: "People usually...
By Stacey Garfinkle | May 24, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (31)
What Did That Bill Say?
Forget IM. Forget Facebook and MySpace. They may still be big with the teen set, but at least they don't hit your pocketbook like teen text messaging can. In Sunday's Washington Post, Margaret Webb Pressler tells of a high school junior who sent 6,807 text messages in a month, sending...
By Stacey Garfinkle | May 21, 2007; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (46)
Say 'Cheese,' But Don't Buy It
Drug dealers have devised some new tactics to entice kids to buy drugs -- they mix them into over-the-counter medicines or even candy and call them non-drug names. For instance, "Cheese" is a blend of black tar heroin and Tylenol PM, reports the Associated Press. And meth mixed into strawberry-flavored...
By Stacey Garfinkle | May 10, 2007; 07:15 AM ET | Comments (27)
Bullying Takes on More Forms
No matter how you slice the numbers, it's likely that you'll have a child who is subjected to bullying at some point. And that bullying can cause stress, a loss of self esteem and dropping grades. A recent Stanford University survey says 9 out of 10 elementary school students reported...
By Stacey Garfinkle | May 2, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (113)
iPods With the Answers
When it comes to school, kids cheat. They naturally look to others who know an answer when they do not. They did when my grandparents were in school. They did when my parents were in school. Our generation did it. Though it's not the right thing to do, today's students...
By Stacey Garfinkle | April 30, 2007; 07:15 AM ET | Comments (45)
There's No Miracle Cure for Obesity
"Breastfed infants grow exactly the way they should. They tend to gain less unnecessary weight and to be leaner. This may result in being less overweight later in life." So says the Department of Health and Human Services on its women's health Web site. A new Harvard study says nope...
By Stacey Garfinkle | April 26, 2007; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (45)
Abstinence: All Talk No Action
Abstinence-only education programs don't work. So says a government study on the topic released late last week. Researchers set up intricate program groups that controlled for factors such as race, single-parent households and household income. They then separated like youth into two groups: a program group of kids who attended...
By Stacey Garfinkle | April 19, 2007; 07:10 AM ET | Comments (110)
Talk to Your Kids About Shootings
Words can't describe the loss suffered by the parents and families of the Virginia Tech students who were killed two days ago. Yet as parents, we need to find the words to talk to their kids -- particularly those who are school-aged -- about this tragedy. The Mental Health Association...
By Stacey Garfinkle | April 18, 2007; 12:01 AM ET | Comments (34)
Drive the Money Point Home
It looks like the topic of money and kids is one that's going to take on more importance over time, particularly as financial institutions get in on the get-out-of-debt act. In The Post's Sunday Business section this week, Margaret Webb Pressler writes about a pilot program called Finance Park that...
By Stacey Garfinkle | April 16, 2007; 07:10 AM ET | Comments (28)
Mothers and Daughters
Apparently, all those times my mother called my hair "a mop," it was out of love. And all the times she told me I was fat -- even though I was a competitive swimmer going to practice for four to seven hours per day -- that, too, was love. That's...
By Stacey Garfinkle | April 10, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (44)
The Debate: Teen Curfews
Move over teens: Malls are for parents with toddlers, not you. That's the message that about 40 malls around the country are giving teenagers who try to hang around the mall without a parent on Friday and Saturday nights. Tired of teen fights and other behavior unbecoming the family retail...
By Stacey Garfinkle | April 6, 2007; 06:30 AM ET | Comments (62)
The Games We Play; Plus, Harry Potter
Do you know what games your kids are playing when you're not watching? Levi Draher's mom certainly didn't. In eighth grade, Levi learned the choking game. In ninth grade, to the dismay of a friend, he played the game a few times alone, according to the Cullman (Ala.) Times. Then,...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 29, 2007; 07:07 AM ET | Comments (60)
The Debate: Do You Talk Religion?
My house is filled with singing these days -- mostly of Hebrew and English Passover songs that my son has been learning at school. This is a school that I adore in every way: great teachers, good projects, fabulous playground, really nice kids. But my children's classes are much more...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 23, 2007; 08:30 AM ET | Comments (196)
Straight Talk for Teens
Long before Toni Weschler's new book "Cycle Savvy: The Smart Teen's Guide to the Mysteries of Her Body," became the talk of the mommy blogosphere, her 1995 bestseller, "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" was on the must-read list that I gave friends who were trying to get pregnant. It was...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 21, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (32)
Peer Pressure
Peer influences can be hard to deal with, particularly as kids age and want to be seen as adults. Hence comes this question from reader George into the parenting mailbag (E-mail your own question to parenting@washpost.com.) "How do you keep a 12- and 13-year-old girl away from junk food, cosmetics,...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 19, 2007; 07:23 AM ET | Comments (20)
Give Me Money!
My 5-year-old wants money. Well, actually, he wants to go to the store by himself to buy Legos. And he's planned an entire Lego party with his friends in which they all walk to the Lego store together when they are nine -- in his words "old enough to go...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 8, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (102)
Summertime, Summertime
It's March. Do you know what your kids' summer plans are? The camp industry would have you believe that January's the time to get your camp sign-ups done. In truth, NOW's the time to sort through the details before all the camp slots fill up and you've got bored kids...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 7, 2007; 06:45 AM ET | Comments (40)
HPV Vaccine: What Choice Will You Make?
Didn't vaccinating kids against diseases used to be a no-brainer? After all, who would want to inflict their child with the measles or the mumps when the diseases could so easily be prevented? I never recall my own mother questioning the pediatrician about vaccinations. We simply got the shots. But...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 5, 2007; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (119)
Click. Your Teen Is at the Wheel
Parents have plenty of ways they can spy on their kids and child-care providers: Hidden nanny cams can record what goes on at home when they are not there. Daycare cams let parents see their children while the parents are at work. Cellphone trackers tell parents where their cell-carrying tweens...
By Stacey Garfinkle | March 1, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (47)
Boys vs. Girls
As I sit down to write, my three-year-old is playing in the next room first shouting "Chugga chugga choo choo!" with a train, then "zoom, zoom" with two racing cars. What gender is the child? I'm guessing most of you chose boy, and you'd be right. Before I gave birth,...
By Stacey Garfinkle | February 28, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (109)
Chew on This
Picture This: Visiting speaker enters high school class after high school class to teach teens about how sexually transmitted diseases are spread. To illustrate the point, speaker then asks the students to take turns chewing on the SAME piece of gum. Said piece of gum passes from mouth to mouth....
By Stacey Garfinkle | February 12, 2007; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (35)
