Dress Your Body Type: Tall

Why? Because the air is fine up here, and thanks for asking.

Although added inches generally confer advantages in the wardrobe department, men with tall body types nevertheless face certain challenges in dressing their best. Here we review how clothes should fit and which colors and patterns tall men should include in their wardrobes to really make the most of their appearance. And so that you know exactly what to buy on your next shopping trip, we’re also supplying you with a checklist of wardrobe must-haves for tall guys.

Although added inches generally confer advantages in the wardrobe department, men with tall body types nevertheless face certain challenges in dressing their best. Here we review how clothes should fit and which colors and patterns tall men should include in their wardrobes to really make the most of their appearance. And so that you know exactly what to buy on your next shopping trip, we’re also supplying you with a checklist of wardrobe must-haves for tall guys.
A tall body type defined
In the West, men whose height is 6'3" or taller are considered to be tall, whereas in other parts of the world, anything beyond 5'11" is perceived as tall. This body type might also be large (as in "big and tall") or it might be very lean.
Pros and cons of dressing a tall body
For men who have a lean build or an average amount of muscle mass, being tall is a huge pro as clothing hangs better on taller individuals, which means you can wear just about anything and look great. Additionally, most societies tend to view extra inches as an advantage for males and women often find tall men extremely attractive, so if you know how to dress yourself stylishly, your professional and interpersonal success will skyrocket. In fact, the only real downside to being tall is that if you’re on the extreme end of the spectrum, it can be difficult to find clothes that are long enough for your body.
DRESS YOUR BODY TYPE: THE GUIDE
Fit
Two general rules apply to fit when dressing a tall body. First, avoid clothing that is oversize as it will hang off your body strangely. Also, skip anything that is extremely fitted as it will make you appear awkward if you have a large build or like a beanpole if you’re slender.

When specifically considering the top half of the body, there are a few supplementary guidelines men with tall bodies can follow to enhance their appearance. Dress shirts must absolutely be long enough to tuck into your pants, even if you’re not in the habit of wearing your shirts that way. It can be tricky to find longer shirts, but failure to do so will mean you risk looking like a big kid.

Cropped jackets will have a similar effect on you as they will make your body appear disproportionate by emphasizing the length of your legs. Instead, opt for jackets and blazers that end just below the hip as this length adds neither height nor width to your frame. You should also know that blazers with two buttons are a better choice for you as three-button blazers will further elongate your body. For tall dudes with an average-to-lean build, double-breasted jackets are extremely flattering. As well, coats that fall just below the knee, particularly belted models, will really command respect on a tall frame.

Straight-leg trousers and jeans rather than tapered or boot-cut bottoms look best on tall bodies, though when you’re tall bottoms should always be tried on prior to purchasing in order to ensure that their inseam is long enough to cover the top part of your shoe (try labels like Rock and Republic to find 36” inseams). Go with mid-rise jeans if you’re heavier and low-rise jeans if you’re slim, but steer clear of high-waisted jeans (tall hipsters, take note).

A final point with regard to fit concerns tailoring: When you’re tall, having your formal wear adjusted to suit your height is nonnegotiable.

1 in 5 Teens Are Hyper-texters

A study conducted by APHA found that 1 in 5 teens are hyper-texters, which means they text more than 120 times a day. Think about it, if each text takes 1 to 2 minutes of time, that is two to four full hours of time out of their day just texting. I think we can all agree that there are better things our teens can be doing with their time.

The study was conducted in 20 public high schools in the Cleveland area last year, and is based on confidential paper surveys of more than 4,200 students. And what is being reported around the net about this study that is considered shocking?!? It's that these hyper-texting teens are more apt to have had sex or used alcohol and drugs. Really? I don't find it shocking that teens who text for 2 to 4 hours a day may not have enough parental supervision to keep them off drugs and making smarter choices about sex. (If you are worried, learn how to talk to your teen about tough issues here.) Even the study's lead author, Dr Scott Frank associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, said, "If parents are monitoring their kids' texting and social networking, they're probably monitoring other activities as well." That's it in a nutshell, isn't it?

How to Raise a Self-Confident in Teens

Confidence is one's belief in their own ability's. Confident people rationally believe they are capable of doing things well and therefore aren't afraid to do those things or even try new things. Teens who are confident grow up to have a good sense of self and become happy adults. Parents can help teen build their confidence throughout their adolescence by following these tips:

Be trustworthy. Be there when your teen needs you. Provide a safe home environment and firm but fair discipline. This is a foundation that your teen's confidence can stand on.

Give your teen choices. One of the things that confidence helps teens do is making a decision. You can help teens make decision by offering them choices as often as possible. Learn more about decision-making and teens.

Encourage your teen to try new things. Be available to take them where they need to go and do so without complaining.

Become your teen's biggest fan, whether it is in sports, your teen's other interests or in school.

Do not use criticism when talking to your teen - even if it is just sarcasm. It hurts more than helps and can place wedge between you and your teen, depleting their confidence.

Allow your teen to fail, do not fix their problems for them. If they need you to help talk the problem through, ask open ended questions so that they come to their own conclusions. Role play different scenarios if it helps your teen find their answer - but allow them to find the answer that is right for them.

Model a positive attitude by handling everyday decisions with confidence.

Praise your teen when praise is due. We know that too much praise is not good either, but due praise is necessary for your teen's self-confidence.

Spend time with your teen enjoying something they like to do. This is always a good time to sit back and marvel at what a wonderful person they are becoming.

Tips to Handle Teen Back Talk

Talk and Suggestions:

Back Talk My Parents! Not Me!!

WOW! Not in my younger days. That was not heard of in the Black Community. That was Taboo, you just didn't do it. Doing my younger years we were taught Manners and Respect at home, school and Church. Some of the White Children dare not do it neither. This generation today is out of control. Corporal punishment is frown apond. Some of these children need an "Old Fashion Butt Whipping". I would never tell my parents to Kiss My A-- and leave me the Fu-- alone. This I have heard in stores and the parent did just what the child said to do. Spent over $300.00 in clothing for this particular child. If I had said that to my mom or dad, I would have been hit in the mouth so fast I would never see it coming. Parent need to take back their role as the PARENT as act like a parent and not the "FRIEND"! If they start correcting the bad behavior, while the child is young and stay on top of it. Then there is a possibility Parent can correct this. I am 65 yrs old.

Sounds Great

I love Nicole and Chancellor's suggestions! These should be the first options, and privilege removal (like games) is a good option for when they refuse to talk to you. At the same time, it's important to respect their property ownership. Like, if an X box is given to them as a gift, you aren't allowed to take it. But you do pay the electric bill so you could shut off the power to his room.

Discern

I too, struggle with the back talking my teens will engage in rather harshly. Most of the time, I repeat what they are trying to say in a calm polite way, completely disregarding their "tone". Usually, I ask them if they agree with me that what I said (in a courteous manner) is exactly what they meant. I then say, I'm just making sure with a smile on my face. It is important to them that we, as parents, can help them communicate, respectfully without judging them in any negative way.

Working Together For Better Health

Parents and caregivers have the sole responsibility to introduce healthy food choices to young children. Children learn from the meals you offer, the way you serve food, the way you shop, and the examples you set. They develop habits early that, once learned, can last a lifetime, so it's never too early to make a change. It's important to take every opportunity to promote a healthy active lifestyle. Try these ten creative ways to get young children to eat healthier.

1. Prepare Healthy Meals Together

Engaging children in the preparation of kid-friendly healthy dishes is so fun and so very messy, but children are more likely to eat something that they have helped to prepare. So, bring out those bowls, spoons and cups. While kids are helping, it is a good time to introduce portions, simple fractions and units of measure.

When you are finished preparing, show children how to set the table. Don't forget to dine together. Children who eat meals with their families tend to have better diets, not just because meals are planned, but because of the positive examples that are set at the table.

2. Get Creative

Make silly food faces out of fresh fruit and vegetable slices, and come up with amusing, silly names for the healthy foods you prepare. Celery and raisins become "ants on a log," peanut butter and pretzels can be "mud on a stick," and spaghetti with tomato sauce can turn into "wiggly worms."

The golden word is "distraction." The apple wedge is a boat, and their mouth is a river. Peas are a food made out of green. You can become a consummate actor or a verbal Picasso to get them to taste something new.

3. Pack Snacks Together

Children can also benefit from packing snacks for the day, or packing for a picnic. When planning a long-term getaway, encourage them to help with bagging individual portions of fruits, chilled veggies, cheese sticks, crackers, trail mix, water, 100% juice boxes, and other good choices. These are the images they will carry with them throughout their day.

4. Take Children Shopping

Young kids love to play grown-up. On a real excursion to the grocery store, allow the children to pick a new fruit or vegetable to try at home. Let them weigh their choice, bag it, and put it on the conveyor belt. Once home, let them help you present it to the family. Try to avoid flying through each aisle like a secret agent on a mission. Slow down and turn shopping into a learning experience.

5. Plan a Family Taste Test

Slice a variety of apples such as, Fuji, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, and McIntosh. Set out a variety of breads such as Sourdough, Rye, Potato, Whole Wheat, Pita, and Tortilla. After each taste test, compare the various textures and characteristics while you talk about your favorites. A great time to do this without spending a great deal of money is during dinner at a buffet.

6. Show Kids How to Grow Food

Many local growers are happy to share the farming experience with young children if you call ahead of time. Take a trip to your local farmer's market where you will often find fun activities for kids. Children are more likely to eat fruit or vegetables that they have grown and picked themselves. Use a planter, or assign a small piece of your yard to start your own private garden. You can begin with tomatoes and build from there.

7. Sing and Dance to Good Food Songs

Find songs with lyrics that promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle. If you can't find music in your local retail store, there are some great offerings available for young children online. Music CDs like Smart & Tasty, Bon Appetite, Groovin' Foods, or Smart Fruit & Veggie Songs, can be found with a simple internet search. Be prepared to pass the potato, count the bananas, scissor kick your celery sticks, interact with your children, have fun, and basically act like a fool. If you don't have access to music, make up silly, rhyming rhythmic chants about new foods.

8. Explore Healthy Foods Through Books

Find coloring books or read books that introduce fruits and vegetables as characters, or have interesting stories that revolve around healthy foods. Books such as I Will Not Ever Eat a Tomato, Counting Pumpkins, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Food for Thought, and Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z make for some great fun and educational reading. A quick and easy resource for nutrition and health education books for children is found at NeatSolutions.

9. Plan a Craft Activity

Let your child design something artistic such as a paper craft that can be proudly displayed on the refrigerator, pasta art on a plate, or a personalized placemat that can be laminated for repeated use. Some web pages offer free downloadable or printable activities that engage children. Search for your favorites or visit 5aday, Dole, and Nutrition Explorations for some interesting offerings.

10. Play Fun Games That Involve Healthy Eating

Children who have fun with healthy foods are more likely to want to taste them. Instead of "Duck, Duck, Goose," play "Grape, Grape, Juice." Play target practice by tossing play foods into grocery paper bags. Let your children select from their play food and serve you a nutritious meal.

Play verbal "I spy a color" games and board games that promote healthy eating and educate young children about good food choices. The Produce for Better Health Foundation offers "The Fruit and Veggie Race" board game for all ages.

Empower your young children to be agents of change in and away from home. They will not only eat better, they will inspire others to do the same.

Money Saving Tips: Get Raise for Next Year

The mark down on Halloween decorations is amazing in many stores because each year companies that manufacture Halloween items change them up. So stores don't want to be caught with last year's ghouls and spooks, so to speak. Although, you have to time it right and not care-so-much about what you'll be picking up. In other words, if there is a decoration that you can't live without, buy it right away - don't wait. But if you just want to inexpensively add to your stash, the last few days, including October 30th, 31st and November 1st, are the days to shop.

Teen Sexting: What Should the Laws Be?

Read what 29 other parents have said and add your opinion!

With many communities talking about teen sexting and discussing the changes in the sex offender laws to reflect the true intent of sexting by teens and differentiate it from the intent of a child molester, I feel parents need to have their voices heard. Here is where we can do that. So I am asking, if your teenager sent a nude or semi-nude picture to a boyfriend/girlfriend and it was distributed throughout their school, what do you feel the appropriate punishment should be from the school officials and law enforcement?

Counter-Productive to Sex Offender Laws

I do feel that kids need to be held accountable for their actions, especially malicious actions involving exchange of explicit material. However, accusing them of being sexual predators and having a legacy of being a registered sex offender seems a punishment that is at least a little off-target. In the long run, it may even be counter-productive concerning the real sex offenders, causing people to discount the "registered sex offender" tag.

—Guest clgolden

laws too strict..

I am dealing with a situation where our step daughter was "in love" so she was naive and sent nude pics to her boyfriend. They broke up now he says she will go to jail for this and is harassing her. I don`t think the rest of her life should be ruined for one mistake! We all made mistakes and she is no different then any other teen!

—Guest ava

The effects are serious

I currently am going through this with my almost 16yr old. After realizing what has happened by her, she has tried to commit suicide due to the nature of the charges that could be hanging over her head. She is an honor student in school, actually high honors. Yes I do pay attention to what she does, all it takes it a digital camera whether on a phone or even web cam or separate and only a few seconds will do the damage. It is worse when then they are loaded out on the porno sites by them because they have been dared by peers. Jail time for this age is not what is needed. Nor ruining their lives because they gave into peer pressure. I have taken away the cell phone, and monitor the sites even closer. But they can still do it at a friends house where there may not be monitoring. It has become a living hell since this has happened. Education at home, school and even law enforcement to teens today could help, but in the end the individual makes their own choice.

—dottie62

Consent Laws must be reviewed revised

These consent laws were to protect our communities not make our teenagers register as sex offenders for the rest of their lives. What will their communities that don't know them think of them when they are older? That they raped a under aged child. Come on! These laws are unjust and Must be changed.

—Guest Steph

There must be accountability

I think home is the first place to start. Parent must be more aware of what their children are doing on their cell phones. I have removed picture messing from my sons cell phone in an effort to avoid this problem. No one can send him a picture and he cannot send anyone else a picture so he will not get caught up in that because kids will be kids. However, parents have to think outside of the box and be smarter. I don't see picture messaging as a necessity. He needs a phone at 14 for only one reason in my eye and that's to contact me or other family in the event of an emergency. If you have a more responsible child and OK this service to their phone I think as a parent you should be held accountable for any misuse by your child because at that point you should monitor his or her activity more closely.

—Guest Guest T

Need Counseling

If a minor(under the age of 18) is sending such disrespectful material either about themselves or of others, there's a problem and immediate counseling should be the norm along with revoking of cell phone and internet privileges. I have a problem with the "kids will be kids" mentality. If people are to be respectful of others when they are adults, then why aren't we teaching children the same. Where's the sense of decency most Americans have when I grew up with? Believe me, being ashamed of something for which you'd done as a child will always be with you for your lifetime. As a parent, one should always be vigilant on keeping their child safe from all dangers. Especially with cell phones and laptops connected to the internet.

—Guest Virtue

Against Loopholes for Pedophiles

If your 14 yr old daughter had been raped by another teen you would be quite surprised to learn how difficult it is to get justice. These criminals will say ANYTHING to get away with their crimes. Creating laws to give them yet another easy way out will not only put more people at risk, but it will make the healing process for your daughter nearly impossible as she continues to face him daily at school and other places. PLEASE, PLEASE think of your child's safety and the importance of having as much power as possible to stop these criminals from continuing to do what they love so much. You cannot imagine how many children loose their innocence this way and how many lives it destroys. You cannot protect your children from everything, so don't think this cannot occur if you are a good parent. We need STRONGER LAWS for sexual predators, NOT LIGHTER!! Teens can refrain from this behavior and they should. QUIT HELPING CRIMINALS!!!

—Guest been there

School Reaction to the Times

I think the schools should make a point to separating the boys and the girls to discuss the implications of sexting in a small group format. Just like we did back in 5th grade when we separated to discuss the changes of puberty when we change from boys to young men and girls to young women. Also discuss the outcomes of what can happen when they do this, both legally, academically and from their parents.

—Guest Travis

The laws are not justly.

I think that children should not be getting misdemeanors and felonies for this. No way, no how. That is just unbelievable! This is not a good enough of a reason to mess up a child's entire future because of a stupid little picture that they wanted to send. Of course, if there is the chance they didn't want it sent and someone else did it then yeah maybe give them like a hundred dollar fine or community service. Not prison time and a record so that student cant get a good job or something in the future.

—Guest T

Gravity of a teens decision

Fifteen year old's don't understand the gravity of their actions and won't for another three years because they are still under the security of their homes and their parents. There are better punishments for such an offense.

—Guest mb

Mature enough...

Some teens know exactly what they are doing and both parties should be held 100% accountable.

—Guest ginn

Kids will be kids...

In the 50s, it was going to 'make out lane' and holding hands. Nowadays, teens will expose their bodies and send pictures to their lover. Now, I do think this is inappropriate but that should be left up to the parent to decide. Now, if pictures are obtained through a cell phone and sent around schools a school administrator should talk to the parents of the one who took the picture and who received and forwarded the picture. They should contact parents and thats as far as this should get. Teaching abstinence will just make kids touch each other more, and outlawing sexting will make kids take more inappropriate pictures and perhaps prostitute themselves by selling these forbidden images. Now, sending pictures to people over the Internet that the teen has no relation to is another story. This should be handled less gently and the one receiving the photos should be punished severely as well.

—Guest Ella parent

No punishment.

First of all, a chip would be near impossible or extremely expensive to make that would detect nude photos on a phone. Televisions with chips only work because the shows are tagged by the producers as indecent for children. Also, those with the photos shouldn't be punished just because someone else decided they were going to get naked and take some pictures. Nobody forced your kids to do that.

—Guest Nick

The Person Sending Pictures

I think the person sending the text picture should be the one who should be punished.

—Guest Sybil

Children Do Make Mistakes

We are the world leader at manufacturing criminals and giving people police records. Definitely nothing for the "land-of-the-free" to be proud of. Let’s not get carried away and over react by documenting the mistakes of young people.

—Guest Heather

Share Why You Believe in Drug and Alcohol Prevention

“Drug and alcohol prevention is important to me because I, my family, and many friends have been deeply affected by the use of drugs and alcohol. It has ruined people’s lives and many people I know have lost their lives to the battle of addiction. This world would be a much safer and happier place if people could somehow find what they needed in something else (other than drugs and alcohol).” – Facebook Fan of The Partnership at Drugfree.org

We talk to so many committed parents and caregivers who care about this issue and want to get involved. So, we’re diving into the world of social media to help raise awareness in new ways and highlighting campaigns we’ve launched for web-savvy parents and teens.

Our Facebook Photo Campaign:

Help us share reasons why Prevention of Drug & Alcohol Abuse Is Important to You! Take a photo with your answer on this PDF and post it to our Facebook page. Don’t forget to tag yourself and spread the word!

The Personal TWIBBON Campaign:

Help The Partnership at Drugfree.org by wearing your own virtual ribbon. Add our Twibbon sticker to your facebook page or tweet your support.

And STAY TUNED…

Sexting:Teens Putting Sex and Texting Together

Sexting is:

Sexting is creating pictures or videos of sexual acts or nudity and texting it over cell phones. One resource I read called it 'the intersection of promiscuity and technology.' This is happening with and without a teen’s permission. A survey released in December by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy said about a third of teenage boys and a quarter of teen girls say they've seen nude or semi-nude images that were meant originally to be private.

Sexting is a crime, but:

At this point, authorities are trying to figure out what crime to charge teens with when caught up in a sexting situation. The crime itself, if committed by an adult, would be child pornography. That is a federal offense that doesn’t really cover the issue here.

Police Man Arrested Teens For Having Sex

The police man arrested the teens for having sex.

The police man is very strict and he is using strict words.

A police officer has been suspended for staging a fake arrest of a 15-year-old boy after discovering the teenager was having sex with his stepdaughter.

Keeping the Kids Safe This Halloween

Halloween, while the absolutely favorite holiday for many fathers and children, is fraught with risk for kids. Dark streets, costumes with limited visibility, and children who have fun terrorizing smaller ones, are all part of the Halloween experience. Here are several short articles with information for fathers about keeping their children safe on Halloween.

Keeping Kids Safe at Halloween Parties:
Older children often want to attend Halloween parties with their friends. What can a dad do to help make sure his kids are safe when they attend a Halloween party away from home?
Trick or Treating Safety:
The younger kids loves to dress up and head out to trick or treat in the neighborhood, at a local shopping mall or just out and about. But trick or treating, while really fun, has some inherent risks. Find out what a father needs to know and do to make trick or treating a safer experience.
Halloween Safety at Home:
Halloween decorations and activities can sometimes be unsafe if not handled properly at home. Check out our tips for Halloween safety right at home.

Methods To Reduce Your Teens TV Time

According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., today's youth in America spend 900 hours per year in a classroom but 1500 hours per year watching television. Also, according to William H. Deitz, prominent obesity expert at Tufts University School of Medicine, the easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set. Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.

Things to Do With or For Your Teen:

When you get rushed with things to do throughout the year, it’s your relationship with your children that suffers. Even when you take notice to the fact that you are over scheduled, it tends to be your teen’s need for your attention that is placed on the back burner.

At these times our teenagers are only likely to get attention by acting out- not good. This happens normally because teens become so capable of handling their own basic daily needs that we don’t notice we've stopped paying positive attention to them.

Here is a list that will help you remember and give you ideas of positive things to do with or for your teen. Enjoy!

1. Talk to your teen about his day.

2. Volunteer together.

3. Make your teen his favorite dinner.(Pizza in my home.)

4. Solve a problem by giving your teen the choice.

5. Root for your teen. Whether it’s a sports game or a big test, let your teen know you are on his side.

6. Take a glimpse into the future. What does your teen see? What do you see?

7. Talk to your teen about sex.

8. Talk to your teen about drugs.

9. Cook a meal together.

10. Write your teen a love note - it will perk up his self-esteem.

11. Develop a new healthy habit together.

12. Rearrange your teen’s room. (You may need to clean it first – warn him.)

13. Challenge your teen to a yearlong game marathon.

14. Plan the family vacation together.

15. Make your teen his favorite lunch.

16. Make your teen a hot breakfast before school.

17. Go for a walk or a hike.

18. Take a class together.

19. Hug him.

20. Buy a sponsorship in the yearbook and write something sweet.

21. Build or add to a family website together.

22. Plan a birthday party.

23. Watch a movie.

24. Do a puzzle and frame it.

25. Plant a garden in the backyard or a potted indoor garden.

26. Stay in your pajamas all day. (Perfect activity for a snow day.)

27. Have a movie marathon.

28. Have a picnic.

29. Go to a local historic museum.

30. Make your own t-shirts or sweatshirts.

31. Scrapbook or journal a day in your teen’s life.

32. Stargaze together.

33. Find shapes in the clouds together.

34. Go to the zoo.

35. Serve at a soup kitchen.

36. Make a time capsule.

37. Go bowling.

38. Go to a professional sports event or concert.

39. Make a video.

40. Make a pillow or quilt out of your old T-shirts and blankets.

41. Have a campfire and roast marshmallows.

42. Have a garage sale.

43. Write a letter to a grandparent about something wonderful your teen did.

44. Bake cookies.

45. Make the best ice cream sandwich ever.

46. Talk to your teen about college.

47. Talk to your teen about serving his country.

48. Order out at your teen’s favorite fast food joint.

49. Spend a day at the beach or a lake.

50. Read one of your teenager’s current magazines.

Methods To Reduce Your Teens TV Time

According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., today's youth in America spend 900 hours per year in a classroom but 1500 hours per year watching television. Also, according to William H. Deitz, prominent obesity expert at Tufts University School of Medicine, the easiest way to reduce inactivity is to turn off the TV set. Almost anything else uses more energy than watching TV.

Things to Do With or For Your Teen:

When you get rushed with things to do throughout the year, it’s your relationship with your children that suffers. Even when you take notice to the fact that you are over scheduled, it tends to be your teen’s need for your attention that is placed on the back burner.

At these times our teenagers are only likely to get attention by acting out- not good. This happens normally because teens become so capable of handling their own basic daily needs that we don’t notice we've stopped paying positive attention to them.

Here is a list that will help you remember and give you ideas of positive things to do with or for your teen. Enjoy!

1. Talk to your teen about his day.

2. Volunteer together.

3. Make your teen his favorite dinner.(Pizza in my home.)

4. Solve a problem by giving your teen the choice.

5. Root for your teen. Whether it’s a sports game or a big test, let your teen know you are on his side.

6. Take a glimpse into the future. What does your teen see? What do you see?

7. Talk to your teen about sex.

8. Talk to your teen about drugs.

9. Cook a meal together.

10. Write your teen a love note - it will perk up his self-esteem.

11. Develop a new healthy habit together.

12. Rearrange your teen’s room. (You may need to clean it first – warn him.)

13. Challenge your teen to a yearlong game marathon.

14. Plan the family vacation together.

15. Make your teen his favorite lunch.

16. Make your teen a hot breakfast before school.

17. Go for a walk or a hike.

18. Take a class together.

19. Hug him.

20. Buy a sponsorship in the yearbook and write something sweet.

21. Build or add to a family website together.

22. Plan a birthday party.

23. Watch a movie.

24. Do a puzzle and frame it.

25. Plant a garden in the backyard or a potted indoor garden.

26. Stay in your pajamas all day. (Perfect activity for a snow day.)

27. Have a movie marathon.

28. Have a picnic.

29. Go to a local historic museum.

30. Make your own t-shirts or sweatshirts.

31. Scrapbook or journal a day in your teen’s life.

32. Stargaze together.

33. Find shapes in the clouds together.

34. Go to the zoo.

35. Serve at a soup kitchen.

36. Make a time capsule.

37. Go bowling.

38. Go to a professional sports event or concert.

39. Make a video.

40. Make a pillow or quilt out of your old T-shirts and blankets.

41. Have a campfire and roast marshmallows.

42. Have a garage sale.

43. Write a letter to a grandparent about something wonderful your teen did.

44. Bake cookies.

45. Make the best ice cream sandwich ever.

46. Talk to your teen about college.

47. Talk to your teen about serving his country.

48. Order out at your teen’s favorite fast food joint.

49. Spend a day at the beach or a lake.

50. Read one of your teenager’s current magazines.

Teens and Depression

Teenage depression isn’t just bad moods and occasional melancholy.

 Depression is a serious problem that impacts every aspect of a teen’s life. Left untreated, teen depression can lead to problems at home and school, drug abuse, self-loathing—even irreversible tragedy such as homicidal violence or suicide.

Fortunately, teenage depression can be treated, and as a concerned parent, teacher, or friend, there are many things you can do to help.

 You can start by learning the symptoms of depression and expressing concern when you spot warning signs.

 Talking about the problem and offering support can go a long way toward getting your teenager back on track.

Teach the +ve Values to Your Teens

We seem to be too worried about 'the rules' and enforcing them, that as parents we aren't looking at the big picture of our children's lives. It's in the big picture where positive values and morals are seen. It's not whether your teen got an 'A' on his science project, it's if he values what an education is going to do for him. Which is a catch-22, because if he values the education, he'll strive for the 'A'. Learn why it's important to teach values with this article.

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We seem to be too worried about 'the rules' and enforcing them, that as parents we aren't looking at the big picture of our children's lives. It's in the big picture where positive values and morals are seen. It's not whether your teen got an 'A' on his science project, it's if he values what an education is going to do for him. Which is a catch-22, because if he values the education, he'll strive for the 'A'. Learn why it's important to teach values with this article.