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Parent News, April Sent Tuesday, April 24, 2012 Amplify's Parent Network April Newsletter 2012 Condoms: What Teens Should Know When it comes to condoms, teens know at least two things. They know the name of the top-selling brand, and they know condoms are supposed to keep them safe. Come to think of it, parents have heard the same thing. Taking my information right from words on the outside of the condom box, I'd like to explore just what it is that condoms are promising ...and what they can't deliver. Let's […]

Parent News, March Sent Wednesday, March 21, 2012 Amplify's Parent Network March Newsletter 2012 Train Your Teen To be Discerning We all want the same thing for our children...that they become mature adults, gaining the wisdom they need to make good decisions. One way we can help is by loosening the reins, letting them step out on their own in certain areas of decision-making. We trust that at a certain point we've given them a framework of good values, so that they are then ready to filter their choices through a […]

Parent News, February Sent Tuesday, February 14, 2012 Amplify's Parent Network February Newsletter 2012 The Chemistry Behind Love Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to look at the chemistry behind LOVE. We want for our teens to be able to, some day, find lasting love. But what IS love, and how can we help our teen recognize that what feels like being in love is too often hormonal urges and chemical bonds rather than the real deal? Parade Magazine has a fascinating and informative article, The Science of Love, […]

Parent News, January Sent Thursday, January 12, 2012 Amplify's Parent Network January Newsletter 2012 What Kind of Boyfriend or Girlfriend? Casting a Vision for your Teen Looking back, what makes the difference between a teen who chose well, and one who just slid into relationships, with sometimes traumatic outcomes? If we parents knew the magic formula, If I do A then B will follow, wouldn't that be nice? Nevertheless, there are guideposts we can follow. Let's listen in on one teen who had a great high school experience, […]

Parent News, November Sent Wednesday, November 16, 2011 Amplify's Parent Network November Newsletter 2011 Teen Dating...It's a Whole New Ballgame When we were teens just beginning to date, our parents knew what to expect. And so did we. They expected to set the age at which we could date, and it wasn't Jr. High. Most of us depended on our parents to drive us places, and so they knew where wewere most of the time. Even 7 years ago I, as a parent, knew when my daughter had her first suitor because he had to call the house […]

Parent News, October Sent Friday, October 14, 2011 Amplify's Parent Network October Newsletter 2011 Character? What's Character? One thing Amplify teaches teens is how to take time to be friends first in a potential romantic relationship. We explain that taking it slow (no touch) allows clear-headed thinking during the time it takes for someone's true character to come out. Specifically, 90 days is about the time it takes for someone to BEGIN to reveal who they really are. It has never occurred to me to […]

Parent News, September Sent Wednesday, September 14, 2011 Amplify's Parent Network September Newsletter 2011 Forgiving Our Children Every one of us has kids who blow it...they do something stupid, or even shocking. We sit down at the computer and, on a hunch, check the history, only to discover a son has been looking at the most demeaning pornography...every day. Maybe your daughter's cell phone has clear evidence that she has been sending racy pictures of herself, and has received them as well. A teacher calls with clear […]

Parent News, July Sent Monday, July 11, 2011 Amplify's Parent Network July Newsletter 2011 Teens Feeding Their Minds With Dark Themes As a guest presenter, I am always looking for ways to connect with students when I walk into a new class for the first time. Hence, I always notice the readers. You know...the ones who are using every spare minute to read a book they just can't put down. It's usually a girl. And the book often has a vampire , or something equally dark, on the cover. I get excited when I see my […]

Parent News, June Sent Saturday, June 11, 2011 Amplify's Parent Network June Newsletter 2011 Guiding...or Controlling? Finding the Balance I saw a study yesterday that reminded me of past battles in my home with my teens (who are now, thankfully, 20-somethings). I couldn't keep that familiar triumphant I told you so from crossing my mind when I read the online article entitled Men see bikini-clad women as objects, psychologists say. As a sex educator, I guess I know too much about what all that exposed flesh does to […]

Parent News, May Sent Monday, May 9, 2011 Amplify's Parent Network May Newsletter 2011 When Media Squeezes out Family, Teens Suffer It seems I hardly go a day without hearing about some kind of detrimental effect of media on kids. The latest is pretty serious. A study reported on in the Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that high computer use was associated with approximately 50 percent increased engagement with a cluster of six MRBs [multiple risk behaviors], including smoking, drunkenness, non-use of […]