The Blog of P.U.R.E. and Sue Scheff

Summer is coming and teens will have more free time on their hands.  Parents need to learn as much as they can about over the counter (OTC) medicine abuse, it is just as risky and dangerous as street drugs. What can you do? We can all play a role in ending medicine abuse.  By working together, parents and grandparents, health care providers,  community leaders and educators can truly make a difference. Here are 7 things you can do to help: 1. Take The Pledge. Visit http://www.medicineabuseproject.org 2. Safeguard Your Medicine. Keep prescription medicine in a secure place , count and monitor the number of pills you have and lock up your medicine. 3. Dispose Properly of Your Unused Medicine.   Learn how to safely dispose of medicine at home — and find a medicine take-back site near you. 4. Educate Yourself. Find helpful resources for Parents & Grandparents , Health Care Providers , Communities & Law Enforcement ...

What plans do you have for your teen this summer? Will they have a job? Will they be hanging out in the neighborhood?  Maybe catching up on some community service hours and volunteering. Whatever you decide it is a fact to keep your teens busy so that they don't find themselves busy in a way that may not be what you want.  Like a trip to the local sheriff's office! Do you know your teen's friends? Do you know where your teen surfs online? Do you know where your teen hangs out? Do you know what your teen does in their spare time? If you answered no to any of these questions, now it the time to find out.  Summer has a lot of down time.  There is nothing wrong with vegging a little and taking some time to relax from their studies, but be sure they are playing it safe and keeping within boundaries you approve of. Do you suspect your teen is using drugs? Drinking? Are you skeptical of the kids they are hanging out with? Is your teen being secretive about ...

New data, from the Florida Department of Health, shows a decline in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Florida’s middle school and high school students.The National Institutes of Health sent out a release about the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) 2011 Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF), which shows that cigarette and alcohol use by eighth, 10th and 12th-graders are at their lowest point since the MTF survey began polling teens in 1975. Release: http://www.nih.gov/news/ health/dec2011/nida-14.htm Below is a complete press release on the Florida youth data. The national 2011 results released last week showed that 18.7 percent of 12th-graders reported current (past-month) cigarette use. In Florida, that prevalence rate is below the national average at just 15.4 percent. Three weeks ago, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids ranked Florida Ranks 13th in " Protecting Kids from Tobacco. ” ( http://www.prnewswire.com/ news-releases/national-report- florida-r...

The authorities all but tell you (or they do tell you) "typical teen" they will show up eventually.  In the meantime you are a nervous wreck. What do you do?  Here are some quick tips for you: Keep an updated phone list with the home and cell numbers of your teen's friends. Using the phone list, call every one of your teen's friends. Talk immediately with their parents, not their friends, as teenagers will often stick together and lie for each other. The parent will tell you anything they know, including the last time contact was made between their child and yours. They will also know to keep closer tabs on their own child. Keep an updated photo of your child on hands at all times. With this photo, create one-page flyers including all information about your teen and where they were last seen. Post these flyers everywhere your teen hangs out, as well as anywhere else teenagers in general hang out. Post anywhere they will allow you to. Immed...

Parents talking about their teens: My daughter is so smart, she is highly intelligent. My son is extremely handsome, very athletic and always had lots of friends. My daughter is beautiful, was the captain of her cheerleading team etc.... My son has an IQ of 170, yet is failing. My daughter wants to drop out of high school. My son wants to get his GED and is not attending school. My daughter made the varsity team and yet dropped out. My son was swim captain and now was asked to leave the team. (He was caught with pot, but said it was his friends. My daughter smokes pot, but it is only recreational. My son likes to drink beer, but it isn't all the time. Excuses for parents: It is the friends he/she is hanging with. The teacher doesn't like my son/daughter. The school has zero tolerance. His father isn't around enough. The coach expects too much. If it wasn't for this one neighbor, we wouldn't have these issues. HelpYourTeens.com Okay, these l...

Choosing the right program takes time. You have come to a point that therapy isn't working, your teen is out of control, they are saying they are going to drop out of school, and not attending classes - now you found out they are smoking pot, maybe worse.  Of course we then shift into the blame game! Stop, listen to yourself -and take action.  Don't be a parent in denial - get your teen the help they need.  The Internet is a confusing and daunting experience, however a necessary tool when trying to decipher a field you are totally foreign to. Parent networking is priceless!  Talk to other parents that have had similar experiences. Move forward from wanting teach your teen that they need to appreciate what they have - it just won't happen in a boot camp, scared straight or even wilderness.  Sure - you will break them down "temporarily" but what happens with that "fright" wears off? Need help?  Visit www.HelpYourTeens.com where your family is ...

Parents of at-risk teens have many common thoughts, here are some of them: My daughter is so smart, she is highly intelligent. My son is extremely handsome, very athletic and always had lots of friends. My daughter is beautiful, was the captain of her cheerleading team etc.... My son has an IQ of 170, yet is failing. My daughter wants to drop out of high school. My son wants to get his GED and is not attending school. My daughter made the varsity team and yet dropped out. My son was swim captain and now was asked to leave the team. (He was caught with pot, but said it was his friends. My daughter smokes pot, but it is only recreational. My son likes to drink beer, but it isn't all the time. Excuses for parents: It is the friends he/she is hanging with. The teacher doesn't like my son/daughter. The school has zero tolerance. His father isn't around enough. The coach expects too much. If it wasn't for this one neighbor, we wouldn't have these issue...

Opening the year with my favorite Parenting Expert and good friend, Dr. Michele Borba .  2010 left us on Friday night and if we could leave our stress behind that easily too, life would be so much easier!  Michele Borba posted a fantastic article on STRESS! According to a recent study :  Kids pick up parent’s stress more than we know! Parenting advice to help you keep a lid on your stress–and your family’s–in time for the holidays. Kids Pick Up Parent Stress Sure parenting is wonderful. But let’s face it, parenting can be also stressful. You may think that you’re shielding your children from your worries, but a new report released by the American Psychological Association shows we’re not doing such a good job of trying to cover up stress. The report found that 91 percent of 1,136 young people ages 8-17 surveyed cite ways they know parents are stressed, largely by their behavior. The s urvey, conducted by Harris Interactive online in August,r...

During this festive season of holiday parties, luncheons and dinners, some adult may over-indulge.  Whether it is food or drinking, going over your usually limit with treats is common when celebrating. However, when it comes to your teens, you need to be an example to them .  Holiday cheer can be fun without the high intake of alcohol. Alcohol Facts: (Booze) What is It? Alcohol is created when grains, fruits, or vegetables are fermented, a process that uses yeast or bacteria to change the sugars in the food into alcohol. Alcohol has different forms and can be used as a cleaner or antiseptic; however the kind of alcohol that people drink is ethanol, which is a sedative. When alcohol is consumed, it's absorbed into a person's bloodstream. From there, it affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), which controls virtually all body functions. Alcohol actually blocks some of the messages trying to get to the brain. This alters a person's per...

How much is a parent supposed to tolerate before they reach their wit's end ? How many times do you blame negative behavior on the friends they are hanging with, since your teen would never act like this? ( Not my Kid ) How long do you continue to allow your teen to speak to you with disrespect and defiance ? How much is too much? Let's face it, parenting teens today has become more challenging than years before.  Think about your generation.  When your parent said to be home at 10:00pm, most were home by 9:50pm.  Why?  Because we respected our parents.  We also knew there would be consequences. Was that considered tough love ?  Not really, it was simply following the rules of the house.  These simple boundaries seem to have disappeared in many homes. Is it because there are more single parent households?  Is it because most families have both parents working, meaning there is less supervision? Without a doubt, the level of re...

The Choking Game is a very serious concern for parents and teens. If you are not familiar with this 'game' take a few minutes to learn more. G.A.S.P. - Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play website has some valuable information you can't afford to ignore. What is the Choking Game? It's not a game at all-just an act of suffocating on purpose. Adolescents cut off the flow of blood to the brain, in exchange for a few seconds of feeling lightheaded. Some strangle themselves with a belt, a rope or their bare hands; others push on their chest or hyperventilate. When they release the pressure, blood that was blocked up floods the brain all at once. This sets off a warm and fuzzy feeling, which is just the brain dying, thousands of cells at a time. Why are kids doing this? Some do it for the high, which can become addictive. Others do it because it's "cool" and risky. Most kids who have died from this were active, intelligent, stable children who tho...

Tangerine Times is a great website of articles and insights on parenting! It is definitely one of my favorites. What do teens want???? Can we as parents ever win? Since my kids are young adults now I can say, yes, eventually it does get easier. Patience..... Source: Tangerine Times For parents of teens, it’s an everyday experience to see the rapidly evolving use of technology by teenagers. The shifting can happen whether there is a new, hot product out our not. Many times it is simply teens finding a new application or use for an existing product or service. Marketing firms are scrambling to pin-down this potentially huge market but it’s like hitting a moving target. Well… now you know how it feels to PARENT a teenager!! Tina Wells, chief executive of Buzz Marketing Group, says: “Technology is starting to define what’s cool in a way that fashion used to define what’s cool.” For teens, “as long as it’s technology, it’s what’s hot”. Translation: the geek is not necessarily the un -coo...

I absolutely love this website for all parents and guardians raising kids. Not to mention educators that work with kids. This article is particularly interesting since I was a parent that took that bait! Oh, hindsight is great! Source: PowerMomsUnite It’s a popular phrase in my house: “ Don’t take the bait .” We have variances on it including “don’t be a fish,” “some one is fishing,” and the most popular “looks like you’re going to land a big one.” With 5 kids in the house, several of who are close in age, they joke, tease, and well, see who can get a rise out of whom. A product of an only child family, I was deeply disturbed by this behavior when they were younger. I lecturing about home being a sanctuary and that no one was to be teased ever! I have come to accept that as a family with ADHD, and maybe every family has this to some degree- boredom breeds a little teasing/ poking/ fishing. The nature of the teasing has changed- due to my insistence that relationships be nur...

Source: Love Our Children USA Knowing that the world we live in today is very different, Love Our Children USA recognizes that we must redefine parenting. No one is a perfect parent and there is no magical way to raise children. And we know kids can be challenging! Parenthood and caring for a child is a gift bestowed upon us which comes with the greatest responsibility and pledge … to guarantee the safety, nurturing, loving environment and physical and emotional wellness of our children … for ALL children! Anyone and everyone can learn good parenting skills. Even parents who are overwhelmed, or alone. The first three years of your child’s life are crucial. Those are the years that your child will develop significant intellectual, emotional and social abilities. That’s when they learn to give and accept love. They learn confidence, security, and empathy … they learn to be curious and persistent …everything your child needs to learn to relate well to others, and lead a happy and product...

CRAMSTER.com has been helping parents with their children that are struggling with completing homework or needs help understanding and learning study skills. Take a moment to review their free offer that can help you help your teen. Source: Cramster.com Cramster.com is a free and effective alternative to tutoring. With experts and knowledgeable community members available 24/7, we leverage the popularity of online social networks to boost your child’s understanding and grades. And don’t forget, you can brush up on your own knowledge anonymously as well. Sign up today. HERE’S WHAT YOU GET (It takes less than 30 seconds to register for free ) Step-by-step textbook solutions Sometimes answers in the back of the book just aren’t enough. Read our step-by-step solutions to actually understand how to solve the problems. And, unlike a solution manual, if you don’t understand the demonstrated steps, you can ask our community for clarification. Expert help at any time, day or night. Ask or a...