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She was online until … well, who knows? Today, she can hardly manage
breakfast, let alone that big history test. Nearly four out of five
teens, according to a recent study, don’t get the nine hours of sleep they
need. Lack of sleep does more than make teens grouchy. Kids who need
sleep are more likely to fall asleep in class, get lower grades and - most
dangerous of all - even drive while drowsy. Here are tips to help your
teen get the sleep she needs:
Cut the caffeine.
If she downs soft drinks all day, she could be on a caffeine buzz well
into the wee hours. The solution? Encourage her to drink water instead.
Tune out technology.
Kids stay up late playing games, listening to music, chatting with
friends. One study found that teens with four or more gadgets in their
room get 30 minutes less sleep than kids who don’t.
Trim the extras.
Sports, clubs and after-school jobs are fun, but they can cut into time
for rest. If your teen’s schedule is too jammed for sleep, it’s too jammed
- period
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It’s a shock: Your teen is using alcohol or drugs. But in many cases, it
didn’t come out of nowhere. Teens who use often display a pattern. Parents
sometimes decide the signs mean something else, until the obvious is
staring them in the face. Substance abuse can be a life-or-death issue.
Ask yourself whether it is better to be suspicious or sorry. You should
suspect substance abuse - or the risk for it - if you see the following
happening to your teen:
Trouble with peers.
If your teen feels he has no friends, if he is very down on himself or if
he starts hanging around peers who have bad reputations, he could be at
risk.
Sudden academic
problems.
There are many reasons for a big drop in grades. But if this happens along
with another sign of substance abuse, it is a pattern.
Leaving evidence.
Things like beer cans and papers to make cigarettes don’t just appear. The
chances are strong your teen knows exactly how they got there and that he
may have used them himself.
Not caring.
Teens involved in drugs or alcohol start leaving once-important things
behind. This includes concern for what parents think, for what non-using
peers do, and for their own appearance.
Unusual events
related to money. Drugs and alcohol cost money. Teens who use often
take money from their homes. A teen who suddenly has more money than usual
may be selling drugs.
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Teens who keep blogs (the short name for a web log, an online journal)
often use them to record personal thoughts. But a blog, which can be
accessed by anyone who knows his way around the Internet, is not the same
thing as a private diary. Certain contents of a blog can get your teen in
trouble, and that includes trouble at school. Free speech laws do apply
to blogs. But this protection won’t necessarily help if what your teen
writes creates big problems at school. The good news is, it’s easy to have
a school-safe blog. It’s mostly about common sense. Here are some
guidelines for your teen to follow:
Never, ever
post anything that could be seen as a threat to harm school staff,
students or even property – or a person’s reputation.
Do not
urge or even suggest breaking the law or school rules.
Keep school out of the blog. Do not post during school hours or
with school computers. Don’t use anything from the school in posting or
creating your blog. It’s a good idea to state directly in the blog that it
is not sponsored by the school, nor is it a part of the school in any way.
It would also be wise to state that you don’t want other students to post
comments on your blog during school hours.
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Greetings from PCN
The past several weeks have been very busy; its times like these that I
seem to get buried with paperwork and demands on my time. When this
happens I need to step back and look at what I am doing - and why. When
life’s pressures get too great we may miss the best solutions because we
are too focused on the situation. Adults are not the only ones who feel
the stress of life. Teens may also feel these pressures and look for ways
to relieve them. Unfortunately, some students believe using substances
will help take the pressure off. As parents, we need to know the signs
of substance use and be prepared to talk with our teens. We need to be
role models for them in dealing with life’s pressures. I encourage you to
visit our PCN and Prairie View websites for parenting tips and information
on signs of substance use. There are substance abuse/prevention
counselors in our schools who are available to talk about any concerns or
questions you may have regarding these issues. The PCN board knows
parenting is an important job and we all need support. Our goal is to be a
helpful resource for you and your family. Please use these resources.
Darcy Jensen and the PCN board
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