Gainful Employment

Jobs for teens have been pretty hard to find this summer. Usual opportunities have been snatched up by adults who have found themselves glad for any kind of employment. Other businesses have just decided to make do and not hire part time for the summer. My daughter works for the Girl Scouts and lamented two sessions of Scout Camp were not filled. Parents are just not spending money on luxuries. This meant counselors were without their expected salaries for the summer.

Don't let summer go to waste. There are definitely constructive things that can be accomplished, even if a job has not materialized. If summer school was looking unattractive previously, it might be the best choice now. Getting ahead on credits, or expanding transcript-building attributes can be a big plus, and might be a most productive way for your teenager to spend time the rest of the summer.

Also, assess what you might be able to offer your teen. Does your house need work? Maybe doing some painting, gardening or organizing would be mutually beneficial. You could offer some kind of payment, barter or other mutually beneficial arrangement. How about neighbors and relative....might they have similar needs that your teen can meet? There are many stories of energetic teens developing highly successful businesses mowing lawns or cleaning garages.

In a recent Wall St. Journal article entitled "Cupcakes and Cattle Breeding: Teens turn to Summer Start-Ups" they report that finding a niche is a key to success. An Austin Texas 17 year old is designing and creating hand-made barrettes and selling them successfully to local boutiques. They offer other examples of teens creating web pages and selling unique baked goods, art work or dog-sitting services. Creativity may be the key to your teen's success this summer.

There is still plenty of time for your child to make this summer a productive one. Reading Lists, math tutoring, volunteering, learning to do something new and different......don't let your teen spend July and August in front of the TV just because they did not get a job. Direction and focus do not take the summer vacation off, they just redirect themselves! chrissie

Living in the Counterintuitive World

If you grew up in the 60's, 70's, or even the 80's, everything you know about school runs counterintuitive to the reality of secondary education today. While for the most part teenagers don't change, even over millennia, the social millieu in which any generation lives determines much of what goes on in schools.

That, according to Mark Bauerlein, professor of English at Emory Univserity, is exactly what is wrong with students today. The social millieu in which they live has been taken over by constant text messaging and social networking to the exclusion of deep meaning in other areas of students' lives.

Bauerlein contends that even though Advanced Placement course enrollment is up and college enrollment is rising, actual student knowledge is stagnant at best, but most probably in decline. Anyone who has tried to take that graduation test from the turn of the century that floated around the Internet might suspect this is true. One might also believe him, based on his experience as a professor who has seen classes of the best and brightest come and go, and so has a yardstick by which to measure.

Bauerlein is not the first professor to question what has happened to American education. In 1963 Richard Hofstadter penned a book called Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. In 1987 Alan Bloom wrote The Closing of the American Mind. He was followed by E.D. Hirsch who claimed that we were losing our cultural literacy and so wrote several books on what every school child should know. This year Professor Bauerlein published the most scathing expose of our youth yet, entitled The Dumbest Generation. Evidently Americans can get even dumber than they were in 1963.

I can also cite one of my favorite professors at OU, J. Fears, who obtained a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to bring American history teachers up to par. Evidently freshmen in the required American history courses knew little about our country, even though they have civics in middle school and American history and government (and possibly AP Government) in high school. Dr. Fears surmised it was the teachers who were not prepared. What he discovered after several years of teaching the NEH History of Liberty Summer Institute course was that the teachers knew their history, loved it and taught it with passion to the best of their ability. Somewhere, somehow, though, the transfer of knowledge did not make it from teacher to student.

We all know that every generation thinks the succeeding generation is not quite up to snuff. I suspect that what is at play here is that yes, for whatever reason - rap music, the self-esteem movement, desegregation, free love, or helicopter parents - students are not as well educated as in the past. But another factor is that in all our affluence and technology, we expect better kids and can't understand why they aren't smarter given all the money spent on education, feel good programs, and, of course, technology. It could be the answer has more to do with human nature than with our belabored schools and shallow teenagers.

What Do I Say, Teach or Learn?

Have you recently had a situation with your own teen that you weren't sure how to handle? It's a rare parent who has all the answers. Heck. I’d worry if I did have all the answers. Parents face many situations where the answer isn't cut and dried. How do you know if you should say yes or no to your young teen's request to go to the movie with friends? Or in a car with a young driver? Or to a party or to a with people you don’t know?

On Sue Blaney's "Stop the Rollercoaster" website, she offers a tool to help. She advises, "What do I need to teach, say or learn?"

Using our three examples from above:
1. You are trying to decide if your young teen will receive your permission to go to the movie at the mall with friends. Ask yourself: "What do I need to teach?"
Have you taught her what to do in an emergency? How to find help at the mall? What to do if somebody does or says something that makes her feel uncomfortable or unsafe? Review with her the skills she may need; be sure you have updated them and they are age appropriate for situations that change as she grows.

2. Are you going to allow your son to go out in a car with a teen driver? Here you might ask yourself: "What do I need to say?"
Go ahead… Even if you’ve stated your rules before, you can say them again...you want your voice in his precious little head! Under what circumstances is he allowed in cars with friends? If this hasn't been stated, this is an important topic to discuss. State the consequences if he breaks this rules. (As an aside, this is a rule that is too often broken and sometimes with devastating consequences, so be clear on your rules about riding in cars.)

3. Will you allow her to go to a party with people you don't know? In this case you might ask yourself: "What do I need to learn? "
You need to be in information-gathering mode to offer the right answer in this situation. Do you have all the facts? Where will the party be? Will there be supervision? How many people are expected to attend? How late will it go? How is she getting home? If your teen doesn't have answers that satisfy you don't be shy to make some calls yourself...which may be a smarter way to go anyway. Identify the information you need to ensure her safety and don't let her go until you've learned what you need to know.

"What do I need to teach, say or learn?" can guide a parent through many situations. It seems a simple and helpful tool to eliminate a few of those gray areas we all seem to encounter with out kids. chrissie

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

Most teens need about 8 1/2 to more than 9 hours of sleep each night. The right amount of sleep is essential for anyone who wants to do well on a test or play sports without tripping over their feet. Unfortunately, though, many teens don't get enough sleep.

Why Aren't Teens Getting Enough Sleep?

Until recently, teens were often given a bad rap for staying up late, oversleeping for school, and falling asleep in class. But recent studies show that adolescent sleep patterns actually differ from those of adults or kids.

These studies show that during the teen years, the body's circadian rhythm (sort of like an internal biological clock) is temporarily reset, telling a person to fall asleep later and wake up later. This change in the circadian rhythm seems to be due to the fact that the brain hormone melatonin. Here is the interesting part. is produced later at night for teens than it is for kids and adults. This can make it harder for teens to fall asleep early.

These changes in the body's circadian rhythm coincide with a time when we're busier than ever. For most teens, the pressure to do well in school is more intense than when they were kids, and it's harder to get by without studying hard. And teens also have other time demands -everything from sports and other extracurricular activities to fitting in a part-time job to save money for college.

Early start times in some schools may also play a role in this sleep deficit. Teens who fall asleep after midnight may still have to get up early for school, meaning that they may only squeeze in 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night. A couple hours of missed sleep a night may not seem like a big deal, but can create a noticeable sleep deficit over time.

How Do You Know if Your Teen is Getting Enough Sleep ?

Why Is Sleep Important?

This sleep deficit impacts everything from a person's ability to pay attention in class to his or her mood. According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2006 Sleep in America poll, more than one quarter of high school students fall asleep in class, and experts have been able to tie lost sleep to poorer grades. Lack of sleep also damages teens' ability to do their best in athletics.

Slowed responses and concentration from lack of sleep don't just affect school or sports performance, though. More than half of teens surveyed reported that they have driven a car drowsy over the past year and 15% of students in the 10th to 12th grades drive drowsy at least once a week. The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration estimates that more than 100,000 accidents, 40,000 injuries, and 1,500 people are killed in the U.S. every year in crashes caused by drivers who are simply tired. Young people under the age of 25 are far more likely to be involved in drowsy driving crashes.

Lack of sleep has also been linked to emotional troubles, such as feelings of sadness and depression. Sleep helps keep us physically healthy, too, by slowing our body's systems enough to re-energize us after everyday activities.

How Do I Know if I'm Getting Enough?

Even if you think you're getting enough sleep, you may not be. Here are some of the signs that you may need more sleep:

• difficulty waking up in the morning
• inability to concentrate
• falling asleep during classes
• feelings of moodiness and even depression

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How Can I Get More Sleep?

Recently, some researchers, parents, and teachers have suggested that middle- and high-school classes begin later in the morning to accommodate teens' need for more sleep. Some schools have already implemented later start times. You and your friends, parents, and teachers can lobby for later start times at your school, but in the meantime you'll have to make your own adjustments.

Here are some things that may help you to sleep better:

• Set a regular bedtime. Going to bed at the same time each night signals to your body that it's time to sleep. Waking up at the same time every day can also help establish sleep patterns. So try to stick as closely as you can to your sleep schedule even on weekends. Don't go to sleep more than an hour later or wake up more than 2 to 3 hours later than you do during the week.
• Exercise regularly. Try not to exercise right before bed, though, as it can rev you up and make it harder to fall asleep. Finish exercising at least three hours before bedtime. Many sleep experts believe that exercising in late afternoon may actually help a person sleep.
• Avoid stimulants. Don't drink beverages with caffeine, such as soda and coffee, after 4 PM. Nicotine is also a stimulant, so quitting smoking may help you sleep better. And drinking alcohol in the evening can also cause a person to be restless and wake up during the night.
• Relax your mind. Avoid violent, scary, or action movies or television shows right before bed — anything that might set your mind and heart racing. Reading books with involved or active plots may also keep you from falling or staying asleep.
• Unwind by keeping the lights low. Light signals the brain that it's time to wake up. Staying away from bright lights (including computer screens!), as well as meditating or listening to soothing music, can help your body relax. Try to avoid TV, computer and telephone at least one hour before you go to bed.
• Don't nap too much. Naps of more than 30 minutes during the day may keep you from falling asleep later.
• Avoid all-nighters. Don't wait until the night before a big test to study. Cutting back on sleep the night before a test may mean you perform worse than you would if you'd studied less but got more sleep.
• Create the right sleeping environment. Studies show that people sleep best in a dark room that is slightly on the cool side. Close your blinds or curtains (and make sure they're heavy enough to block out light) and turn down the thermostat in your room (pile on extra blankets or wear PJs if you're cold). Lots of noise can be a sleep turnoff, too.
• Wake up with bright light. Bright light in the morning signals to your body that it's time to get going.

If you're drowsy, it's hard to look and feel your best. Schedule "sleep" as an item on your agenda to help you stay creative and healthy.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: May 2009
Originally reviewed by: Mena T. Scavina, DO

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Even if they think they're getting enough sleep, they may not be. Here are some of the signs that your teen may need more sleep.

1. difficulty waking up in the morning (Is this easy with any teen?)

2. inability to concentrate

3. falling asleep during classes

4. feelings of moodiness and even depression

Here are some tips from the experts to help your teen develop better sleep habits.

Set a regular bedtime

Avoid stimulants. (Nix the Red Bull or Mountain Dew)

Relax your mind.

Unwind by keeping the lights low.

Don't nap too much.

Avoid all-nighters.

Create the right sleeping environment.

Wake up with bright light.

Remind you teenm "If you're drowsy, it's hard to look and feel your best. Schedule sleep as an item on your agenda to help you stay creative, active and healthy." chrissie

How Can I Get More Sleep?

Recently, some researchers, parents, and teachers have suggested that middle- and high-school classes begin later in the morning to accommodate teens' need for more sleep. Some schools have already implemented later start times. You and your friends, parents, and teachers can lobby for later start times at your school, but in the meantime you'll have to make your own adjustments.

Here are some things that may help you to sleep better:

• Set a regular bedtime. Going to bed at the same time each night signals to your body that it's time to sleep. Waking up at the same time every day can also help establish sleep patterns. So try to stick as closely as you can to your sleep schedule even on weekends. Don't go to sleep more than an hour later or wake up more than 2 to 3 hours later than you do during the week.
• Exercise regularly. Try not to exercise right before bed, though, as it can rev you up and make it harder to fall asleep. Finish exercising at least three hours before bedtime. Many sleep experts believe that exercising in late afternoon may actually help a person sleep.
• Avoid stimulants. Don't drink beverages with caffeine, such as soda and coffee, after 4 PM. Nicotine is also a stimulant, so quitting smoking may help you sleep better. And drinking alcohol in the evening can also cause a person to be restless and wake up during the night.
• Relax your mind. Avoid violent, scary, or action movies or television shows right before bed — anything that might set your mind and heart racing. Reading books with involved or active plots may also keep you from falling or staying asleep.
• Unwind by keeping the lights low. Light signals the brain that it's time to wake up. Staying away from bright lights (including computer screens!), as well as meditating or listening to soothing music, can help your body relax. Try to avoid TV, computer and telephone at least one hour before you go to bed.
• Don't nap too much. Naps of more than 30 minutes during the day may keep you from falling asleep later.
• Avoid all-nighters. Don't wait until the night before a big test to study. Cutting back on sleep the night before a test may mean you perform worse than you would if you'd studied less but got more sleep.
• Create the right sleeping environment. Studies show that people sleep best in a dark room that is slightly on the cool side. Close your blinds or curtains (and make sure they're heavy enough to block out light) and turn down the thermostat in your room (pile on extra blankets or wear PJs if you're cold). Lots of noise can be a sleep turnoff, too.
• Wake up with bright light. Bright light in the morning signals to your body that it's time to get going.

If you're drowsy, it's hard to look and feel your best. Schedule "sleep" as an item on your agenda to help you stay creative and healthy.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: May 2009
Originally reviewed by: Mena T. Scavina, DO

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Those Were the Days

Thought this was great as we approach Father's Day. if you share it with your children, don't forget to add you walked 2 miles to school, in the snow, without a coat........

TO ALL THE KIDS
WHO SURVIVED THE
1930's, 40's, 50's,
60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to
mothers who smoked and/or
drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese
dressing, tuna from a can and
didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were
put to sleep on our tummies in
baby cribs covered with bright
colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on
medicine bottles, locks on doors
or cabinets and when we rode our
bikes, we had baseball caps not
helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would
ride in cars with no car seats,
no booster seats, no seat belts,
no air bags, bald tires and
sometimes no brakes.

Riding in the back of a pickup
truck on a warm day was
always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden
hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four
friends, from one bottle and no
one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread,
real butter and bacon. We drank
Kool-Aid made with real white
sugar. And, we weren't
overweight. WHY?

Because we were always outside
playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the
morning and play all day,
as long as we were back
when the streetlights came on.


No one was able to reach
us all day. And, we were O.K.

We would spend hours building
our go-carts out of scraps and
then ride them down the hill,
only to find out we forgot
the brakes. After running into
the bushes a few times,
we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations,
Nintendo's and X-boxes. There
were no video games, no 150
channels on cable, no video
movies or DVD's, no
surround-sound or CD's, no cell
phones, no personal computers,
no Internet and no chat rooms..
WE HAD FRIENDS and we
went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut,
broke bones and teeth and
there were no lawsuits
from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies
made from dirt, and the worms
did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our
10th birthdays, made up games
with sticks and tennis balls and,
although we were told it would
happen, we did not put out
very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to
a friend's house and knocked on the
door or rang the bell, or just
walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not
everyone made the team. Those
who didn't had to learn to deal
with disappointment.
Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us
out if we broke the law was
unheard of. They actually
sided with the law!

These generations have
produced some of the best risk-takers,
problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an
explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success
and responsibility, and we learned
how to deal with it all.
If YOU are one of them?
CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this
with others who have had the
luck to grow up as kids,
before the lawyers and the
government regulated so much
of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it
to your kids so they will know
how brave and lucky their
parents were.


Here's a great salad for June Watermelons.

>Slice melon in small chunks-seed (About 3 cups chunks)
Julienne enough basil to have about 1/8 cup Basil leaves (can substitute with mint)
Toss together with 1 pkg regular Feta Cheese
Drizzle all with a good Balsamic vinegar
Chill and serve cold.

It does sound kind of unusual but it is delicious!!!
Enjoy. chrissie