6 Things Parents of Teenagers Really Need to Know

This is a short clip from the Today show about six simple things parents can do to raise healthy teenagers.  I especially liked the part about giving up electronics (parents, too!) for at least a week each year to spend time as a family!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/33987966#33987966

Friends: Finding Gold in a Plastic Era

“Friendship is the gold of childhood.” 

Michael Thompson’s statement stuck with me long after I attended his session on the social lives of millennial children at a recent American Camp Association conference.  I would go even farther and say that friendship is not just the gold of childhood, but also of life.    And, unfortunately, our culture is not currently supporting the development of healthy, solid friendships between kids.   Friendship is more important than any academic subject or athletic skill, and yet the way our kids spend their time does not reflect this importance.  For many kids, there simply isn’t time in their lives for developing strong, close friendships.