Anorexia is known to most of us as an eating disorder stemming from a deeply-rooted obsession with body-image, being thin, not gaining weight and anorexia suffers do not typically even want to eat, anymore or at all. They may constantly worry about how many calories they take in or how much fat is in their food. They may take diet pills, laxatives or water pills in order to lose weight. They may exercise too much. Anorexics usually think they're fat, even though they're very thin. People with anorexia may get so thin that they look like they're sick. This physical manifestation of harmful intent to self, threatening all-round health and wellness and total well-being is disturbing and also prevalent in the teen population. Individuals suffering from anorexia, go to extreme lengths to keep themselves from gaining weight

The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders quotes some disturbing facts regarding eating disorders:

• 8,000,000 or more people in the United States have an eating disorder, 90% are women.
• Eating disorders usually start in the teens but may begin as early as age 8.
• Victims may be rich or poor.

It's one of the few rites of passage in the American culture. A time of exhilaration for teens, a mixture of relief and dread for parents. And no matter how intense the anticipation or anxiety, it is an inevitable step for both parents and teens - teen driving. While many teenagers can't wait to sit behind a steering wheel signifying more independence, many parents try to delay handing the car keys to their daughter or son. This step is fraught with emotions and can quickly become a less than positive experience for both parents and teens. While nothing will solve all the issues or calm all the emotions related to teen driving, some common sense approaches by parents can help assure their teen's safe transition through this period.

Consider the following ideas:

1. Decide on your approach to teen driving and talk about it with your adolescent long before they reach permit age. This enables parents to set the limits without the pressure of having to make quick decisions, and the teen to know what their limits will be once they begin to drive.
2. Model good driving habits daily. Adolescents, young and old, imitate their parents' behavior-good and bad.
3. Try not to tie the driving permit stage to reward or punishment. A driving permit is for the purpose of training and learning what will help teens become better drivers. Restricting that time, or cutting it short, as punishment may get your teen's attention, but it will also cut short her or his opportunity to learn safe driving habits with another adult-usually you-sitting beside them.
4. Pay attention to studies that offer guidance for teen driving limits. Research shows that the following factors are keys to teen road safety:

Parents who take the time to thoughtfully prepare for this important stage of their adolescent's lives, will help ensure that their young people not only understand the rules of the road, but they are also ready for the road.

Parents, please share your parenting tips with others. Email them to Deb@Debcarstens.com.

Obesity is an increasing health risk among teens and the risks of smoking have been well documented. Many teens who take up smoking don't feel any immediate risks from the habit. For most teens the risk of developing lung cancer in 40-50 years is just not something they are going to worry about.

New research now points to a link between smoking and metabolic syndrome which can lead to the development of type-two diabetes.

Even secondhand smoke can place teens at risk. This research has prompted some to call for a ban on smoking in places where children and adolescents may be present. That would be fine with me but I'm sure could stir up a hornet's nest of controversy. Could parental smoking be considered another form of child abuse? Parents, please share your feedback. Email Deb@Debcarstens.com.

Horizon Family Solutions, nationally-recognized as one of the most effective family-focused educational consulting and child rights advocacy firms in the United States, welcomes Deb Carstens as the Bend, Oregon Regional Director. Deb has been working with us behind the scenes for several months and has now joined us full time as of January 1, 2007. HFS is an Educational Consulting organization with over 10 years experience in educational consulting and preparing intervention plans with families for the appropriate situations for their troubled teen.

Carstens' leads HFS's team of caring professionals who have expertise in child rights advocacy, educational consulting and parent seminars.

"Deb Carstens is an enthusiastic, inspirational addition to the Horizon Family Solutions team," says Dore Frances, Founder.

"She and our dynamic team are an invaluable resource to families in crisis. Deb shares our dedication in assisting families from the very beginning when things may look the darkest to the bright side of family reunification. We look forward to Deb serving families with commitment and passion in the years ahead."

Deb also volunteers as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and is a member of the Education Industry Association (EIA).

Please join us in congratulating Deb on her appointment to Regional Director of Horizon Family Solutions, LLC and in wishing her continued success in positively impacting today's youth.

Please take a moment when you can to introduce yourself, whether a client or professional. She is looking forward to meeting and working with all of you.

To contact Deb directly you may all her at (541) 383-2041 or email her at Deb@DebCarstens.com.

Horizon Family Solutions, LLC - An Educational Consulting Group

Educational Consulting organization with over 10 years experience in educational consulting and preparing intervention plans with families for the appropriate situations for their troubled teen.

States with Educational Consultants

Educational consultant - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Few choices have as great an impact as the choice of a school or college. - The Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA)

What Is An Educational Consultant? - StrugglingTeens.com

Find Educational Consultants

Visit the Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities

Educational Consulting

Educa tional Consulting Assistance

The UK Education Consultant Centre specializes in helping students aged between 9 - 18 years old.

Become An Educational Consultant

Education Consultant Training Program in Canada

Early Childhood Special Education Consulting

College Bound: How an Educational Consultant Can Help

Educational Consulting Services

The Child Advocate

Child advocacy - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Find a Education law attorney in your area.

If there is one issue parents feel uncomfortable facing when it comes to their young adolescent, it is sexual activity. Few parents want to confront the issues of sexual promiscuity or inappropriate sexual behavior in their adolescent, yet avoiding such behavioral problems can be as risky as the behaviors themselves. Not only does sexual promiscuity cause serious health risks to your adolescent, it can damage self-esteem and the emotional health of a developing adolescent.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 36.9 percent of 14-year-olds have had sex - more than one out of three.

Among 12th graders, 66.4 percent have had sex.

A teen who is out of control may use sex the same way a teen might use alcohol. They might believe it will improve popularity and make them part of the "in crowd." If "everyone else is doing it" they might ignore the consequences that can come with sexual promiscuity.

The greatest risks to teens who are sexually active are sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancy,and damage to self-esteem. When sex is treated like just another teen social activity, it can create serious emotional issues for a young person.

Pre-empting Peers

Parents will best educate their adolescents about sex when they pre-empt the teen's peers in teaching about it. When kids learn it from their peers first, they tend to find this information more reliable.

When they have received serious, thoughtful information from their parents, they are better equipped to deal with misinformation and myths about sexual activity. Being well-informed gives teens the information they need to make better choices; they cannot be manipulated by the "false advertising" of their peers who want to convince them there are no consequences or issues related to sexual activity.

Sex Education

Most parents remember sex education when they were teens as a class with a poorly made film that discussed the basics of reproduction. Some students giggled in the class; some acted as if they already knew all there is to know about sex. These courses rarely did more than scratch the surface of the issues that arise when a person becomes sexually active. As most parents know, we do not live in the same world when it comes to sexual activity. The era of AIDS and HIV has changed our attitudes toward sex.

However, parents need to consider this issue from an adolescent perspective. Most adolescents have an attitude of personal invulnerability; this is a touchstone of the teen years, and leads to many of the high-risk behaviors we associate with this age group.

Teens do not believe "it will happen to me." They can't imagine that would be at risk of developing a life-threatening illness by fooling around with their peers.

Signs That a Teen is Sexually Active

Parents might notice their teen is more secretive about activities with boyfriends/girlfriends, or suddenly becomes interested in washing their own clothes, and/or has items related to sexual activity such as condoms or other forms of birth control. Some signs are more obvious than others. If your teen develops a sexually transmitted disease, medical confidentiality laws might mean you will not be informed about the cause of the health problem. Certain health signs can indicate sexual activity, such as recurring bladder infections, pain in the lower abdomen that is treated with antibiotics, and recurring yeast infections (if a teen is being treated without your knowledge with antibiotics, yeast infections are often a consequence of this treatment). Parents should not assume the cause and accuse the adolescent, but discuss the possible factors and seek to inform and teach their teen that sexual behavior can lead to serious consequences, especially in adolescent's who are too young to take on the responsibility of being sexually active.

Question: This year I am a sophomore in high school and am taking every possible advanced class. I am also in a quite a few extracurricular activities (including math and science team, student government, honors society, etc.). Since middle school, I have always been on the honor roll, but I didn't make it this semester. I feel so pressured by my parents, yet they tell me they don't expect anything! I know they do! They were so angry with me when I didn't make honor roll. They expect so much from me. My mom and dad are divorced (my dad lives in a different state) and they only thing they can agree on is how I need to try harder! What can I tell them so they don't expect so much? ~ Helen H., Atherton, California

Here?s what I think. I think you need someone to help you find your voice with both of your parents. Think of adults who you trust: a special teacher, a counselor, a neighbor or aunt, who you can take into your confidence. A teacher with whom you?ve had a special relationship might be a good person to start with. See if you can have a few minutes of his/her time, then tell that person what?s going on and how hard you?re trying. It may be that the teacher knows your folks or would be willing, regardless, to talk to your mom WITH YOU, so you?re not going in there alone. This sounds like ?going to battle? ; it isn?t, but it probably sounds like what may lie ahead. It?s all part of the growing up that we all need to suffer through ? expressing ourselves even when what we say may be ?unacceptable?. It sounds to me like a lot of the pressure you feel is pressure that you put on yourself, and we all do that, but it IS ?crazy making?!

You have a lot of achievements on your list for someone so young ? your parents should (and probably are) be very proud of what you?ve done. But what happens with parents is that we often reference our own educational experiences when looking at our children ? wanting them to do better than we did, achieve more, get it more easily, receive recognition. Most (healthy) kids don?t need this. If you?re doing these things for THEM, not because YOU have an interest in these organizations and clubs, then it?s time to reprioritize. What are your REAL strengths and interests?

Not necessarily this list of achievements that belong on a college application (have you heard those words already?), but those things that you can do easily and that you choose to do, like making friends, doing ?scrapbooking?, or going to movies. You may be VERY computer savvy, or like to help others in your classes who aren?t getting the message as quickly as you. Make up your list of strengths and hang it in your room. Maybe someone will ask you about it. (As a mom, I WOULD!)

At the very least, it?ll help YOU remember that there are things that you do well, like being a good listener, are kind to elderly people, enjoy a good joke, or read because you love to, not because you have to. If you think that you?re caught in the middle of two, feuding parents (and most children, regardless of the reason for the divorce, DO feel this way), you need someone to talk to, someone who would be willing to help you talk to your folks about how this pressure (and specifically, THEIR pressure) is effecting you. My guess is that you may even be having trouble sleeping because you?re worrying about what you will or will not be prepared for in school the next day. You may be over-eating, which is sometimes a way of filling up a void within us. When one parent leaves, even if contact is frequent or that parents just lives around the block, it still creates an empty place in your life.

The disagreements of your parents aren?t for you to be concerned about, and parents, even with the best intentions, often put children right in the middle, talk to their kids way too much about the ?issues?, and indirectly, ask ? or even insist ? that their children to take sides. Do your best not to get caught up in that.

?I don?t know? , is always a good response to a parent who needs to be validated, even when this validation is painful to a child.

Here?s the good news. Most parents, when they discover that they?re making their children a wreck or a bundle of worries from their own ?Great Expectations?, will back off fast!!!

When it comes to deciding whether ?it?s worth the relationship?, there isn?t a parent I know who would choose the clubs or honors awards over the special relationship that only they have with their children. Find that special teacher ? right away, and start talking!

Susanne Buxbaum, MA, MS has over 15 years experience of advocating for children with special needs. Susanne can be reached by Independent professionals, professionals with agency/program affiliations or families on her toll-free number for a free, 15 minute consultation ~ (831) 373-2209.

First of all, thanks to each of you who entered the contest to win $100 or a gift basket from Harry & David!

Drum roll please ~ the winner of the contest is:

Jenna Fenwick of Optimistic Journeys Creative Life Coaching.

CONGRATULATIONS JENNA!

Jenna writes ~ "I am so excited to be the winner!

If it's ok, I have a short story for you. Today was one of those days ~ I spoke with my mother early in the day and she told me that at some point during the day there was a blessing coming my way, but I just needed to look for it. So, I went about my day and hours later, was putting up our Christmas tree (alone). I'm sure that even Santa would have told me NOT to attempt that. At one point, I had limbs all over the floor, knocked over my precious water and had been poked in the eyes with sap covered branches that I started to tear up.

I called my mother again and said,'How am I ever going to see this blessing if I cannot see at all?' It was about that time I decided to take a break, clean up and relax. I came to check my email, and there was my blessing. Even better~ I could read it!

I am thrilled!

Due to the time of year, I would love cash!"

2007 Newsletter Topics are:

January - Parenting an at risk youth
February - Feeling guilty for your child's decisions
March - Why will my teen co-operate with a professional and not me
April - Making the decision to hire professionals & How to make my teen a priority with high stress lifestyles
May - Questioning your parenting skills
June - Am I really being manipulated by my child?
July - What options are out there for parents
August - How can maintaining consistency help?
September - What is your relationship with your teen really like? October - Knowing your teen's personal life, without disregarding privacy
November - Signs of a troubled teen
December - When to seek help from a professional

For those of you who enjoy writing, please send your article for consideration to Deb@Debcarstens.com.

Make sure your contact information and email is included as well as to which month/topic you are covering in your article.

The Department of Education recently released school data for the 2004?2005 academic year. Although the nationwide average student-to-school-counselor fell to 479-to-1 (down from 488-to-1 the previous year), this ratio is still well above ASCA?s recommended 250-to-1 ratio. The number of school counselors across the country rose from 99,395 to 101,842 in the same time period.

States with the best ratios include: Rhode Island (60-to-1), Wyoming (218-to-1), Vermont (231-to-1) and New Hampshire (251-to- 1).

States with the highest ratios include: California (990-to-1), Minnesota (795-to-1), District of Columbia (775-to-1), Arizona (772-to-1) and Utah (746-to-1).