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

With today's economy, many parents are working full time and/or two jobs leaving many teens home alone. Many will spend their days online - however it is important to get them involved in constructive activities outside the home. This can also help build self esteem! Is there a local Humane Society? A local Nursing Home that needs help? Maybe a Holiday Tree Stand that hires many teens to help carry the trees or deliver them? Booths in malls that wrap gifts? Jobs at movie theaters increase - check in your local area. Encourage your teen to get busy! Keeping your teen active can help prevent them from mixing and hanging out with peers that are less than desirable and looking for trouble. As difficult as it is, keep your lines of communication open! They may think they need a break from the structure of school and studies, but help them to see that all these activities could be fun! Parents, your employment is critical to feeding your family and keeping up with your mortgage or rent ...

Holiday’s are officially here - malls are crowded - stores are busy with the holiday rush especially today on Black Friday. It doesn’t matter your economic status, it seems some teens from all financial backgrounds will try their “hand” at shoplifting. Why? Peer pressure? Is it cool? Part of the crowd? What constitutes shoplifting? It doesn’t have to be only stealing, shoplifting can include changing price tags (which is harder to do now with the bar scans in some stores), consuming food or drink without paying for it, leaving a restaurant without paying, wearing items out of a store (again, hoping there isn’t an alarm tag on them) - this and more will land you in legal trouble if you are caught. Teens seem to believe it could never happen to them - however more and more I am hearing from parents that have had to deal with this. To learn more, visit http://www.stopyourkidsfromshoplifting.com/ and get some great parenting tips such as: Why Children Steal and Your Role in Preventing Ret...

For parents of ADD/ADHD children, many have had tremendous success with the Feingold Program and Diet to help manage their kids. As the holidays are here, they are offering a fabulous goodie basket for your friends and family! Learn more at http://www.feingold.org/ Holiday Goodie Basket! Support your Feingold Association and wow your friends!A great assortment of all-natural, delicious treats in an attractive holiday gift baskets for you to enjoy or to give as gifts. For your $50 donation to FAUS, we will send a basket to the person of your choice.We have gathered our favorite Stage One & Stage Two yummies from sources around the country and will be assembling attractive gift baskets to be shipped out via Priority Mail to the locations and at the time you choose. Look for brownies, cookies, jelly beans, gummy bears, lollipops, and many other goodies and snacks.Wouldn't it be great if your relatives had lots of Feingold-acceptable treats on hand when you and your kids visit them...

As the holidays are here parents are struggling with finding constructive ways to keep their teens busy. Finding a part-time job, maybe working at a Christmas Tree stand or volunteering at a local Humane Society or visiting Nursing Homes. Parents' Universal Resource Experts has helped parents with teens for over 8+ years - and if you are at your wit's end, visit http://www.helpyourteens.com/ and hopefully we can help you help your teen!

Does your teen have Entitlement Issues? Does your teen expect more from you than they have earned or deserve? Many parents only want the best for their children (usually more than they had growing up), but has this actually backfired on families? In today’s society many teens have major entitlement issues. Many parents feel that giving their teen’s material items will somehow earn them respect. Quite frankly, the opposite occurs in most families. The more we give, the more our children expect and the less they respect us. We literally lose ourselves in buying our children’s love. At the end of the day, no one wins and life is a constant battle of anger, hopelessness, and debt. While interviewing a young teen, she was recently given a new car – brand new – felt she deserved it since her parents gave her two used ones previously. She is only 17 years old and already controlling her household and believes she was entitled to this car. She shows no appreciation or respect to her parents. S...

I think it is so important for parents to become informed as their young teen (in some states, as young as 15 years old) take the wheel. It is a such a major responsibility and as a parent, we need to take the responsibility very seriously. Any vehicle, driven by an adult or a teen, can be dangerous if not handled intelligently and with caution. Safe Teen Driving Club is a website every parent should take the time to read. It has tremendous tips and information that can help you help your teen become a safe driver from the moment they receive their permit.

Sue Scheff – Founder of Parents’ Universal Resource Experts and Author of Wit’s End! Advice and Resources for Saving Your Out-Of-Control Teen Offers 10 Parenting Quick Tips 1. Communication: Keeping the lines of communication of your child should be a priority with all parents. It is important to let your kids know you are always there for them no matter what the subject is. If there is a subject you are not comfortable with, please be sure your child has someone they can open up to. I believe that when kids keep things bottled up, it can be when negative behaviors can start to grow. 2. Knowing your Children’s Friends: This is critical, in my opinion. Who are your kids hanging out with? Doing their homework with? If they are spending a lot of time at a friends house, go out of your way to call the parent introduce yourself. Especially if they are spending the night at a friends house, it important to take time to call the parents or meet the...

Another victory for the Dozier Internet Law firm - Free Speech will not condone defamation or trademark infringement. A lawsuit filed by Ronald J. Riley through his lawyers at Public Citizen against Dozier Internet Law has been summarily tossed out of Federal Court in Richmond, Virginia today. Judge Henry E. Hudson, declining to even entertain oral arguments on the points, found that Riley and Public Citizen's assertions in the lawsuit don't belong in Federal Court and are nothing more than defenses to the lawsuit Dozier Internet Law had already filed in state court against Riley. This major setback for the litigation team at Public Citizen, and Paul Levy in particular, follows by a day or so another major loss for Public Citizen in the "Jones Day" litigation in which the Federal Court refused to even consider the arguments in the brief filed by Public Citizen, Paul Levy, and others, and found for Jones Day, and against Levy's position, by rejecting motions to d...

Teenage depression is more than just bad moods or broken hearts; it is a very serious clinical illness that will affect approximately 20% of teens before they reach adulthood. Left untreated, depression can lead to difficult home situations, problems at school, drug abuse, and worse, violence toward themselves and others. Certain young teens suffer from depression as result of situations surrounding their social or family life, but many are succeptable to the disease regardless of race, gender, income level or education. It is very important for parents to keep a watch on their teens - and to maintain a strong level of communication. Understanding the causes and warning signs of the illness can help parents prevent their teens from falling in to depression. Learn More.

DOES your teen, always seem angry? have anger that turns into rage? show signs of depression, i.e., withdrawal, slipping grades? show disrespect to you or disrespect people in authority? self-protect by keeping people at a distance? lie, manipulate and steal? ever talk about his/her biological parents? want to find his/her biological parents? DO you, feel comfortable about your teen's behavior? recognize signs of RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder)? believe you must be adopted to show signs of RAD? understand what is meant by the Primal Wound? think it makes a difference at what age a child is adopted? understand bonding and how it can be disrupted? understand the fear and pain of an adoptee? understand adoptee' difficulty in trusting and showing love It can be difficult to know if your adopted teen's anger is normal and within the range of typical teenage behavior. Most teenagers get angry, especially during the years when their bodies are changing and the hormones can brin...

About.com : Teens by Denise Witmer offers a wealth of information for parents dealing with today's teens. Take a moment to learn more! Denise D. Witmer has been a "professional parent" at the Masonic Childrens Home in Elizabethtown, Pa. She worked in the adolescent buildings from May 1988 - September 1997 and again from May 2003 - July 2006. She was very active in the teen development and independent living programs. She is the author of the book, The Everything Parent's Guide to Raising a Successful Child: All You Need to Encourage Your Child to Excel at Home and School . Her advice has also been featured in US News and World Report, Better Homes and Garden's Raising Teens Magazine, and USA Today online and has been referenced in several books for parents of teens, including Surviving Ophelia. Check out her Blog at http://parentingteens.about.com/b/2008/11/17/parenting-teens-blog-round-up.htm

I receive many calls from parents when their teens have runaway, left their home in a rage, and don't come back for hours, days, weeks! It is one of the scariest feelings a parent can have. Learn more about Runaway Prevention this month. Welcome to the National Runaway Switchboard Between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away in a year. Our mission at the National Runaway Switchboard is to help keep America’s runaway and at-risk youth safe and off the streets. Our services are provided in part through funding from Family and Youth Services Bureau in the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Call 1-800-RUNAWAY if you are a teenager who is thinking of running from home, if you have a friend who has run and is looking for help, or if you are a runaway ready to go home through our Home Free program . Call if you are a teacher looking for information to pass along to your students about alternatives to running from home. Call if you care ab...

Are you considering any of the following programs for your child? Take a moment to read my experiences - http://www.aparentstruestory.com/ as well as my book where you can hear my daughter's experiences for the first time - order today at http://www.witsendbook.com/ . Choosing a program is not only a huge emotional decision, it is a major financial decision - do your homework! Learn from my mistakes - Gain from my knowledge! Academy of Ivy Ridge, NY (withdrew their affiliation with WWASPS) Ally Schools - Marketing Arm - Jane Hawley Canyon View Park, MT Camas Ranch, MT Carolina Springs Academy, SC Cross Creek Programs, UT (Cross Creek Center and Cross Creek Manor) Darrington Academy, GA Help My Teen, UT (Adolescent Services Adolescent Placement) Promotes and markets these programs. Gulf Coast Academy, MS Horizon Academy, NV Lisa Irvin (Helpmyteen) Lifelines Family Services, UT (Promotes and markets these programs) Jane Hawley Mark Peterson - Teen Help Marketing Arm Majestic Ranc...

Introduction In today's society, the Internet has made its way into almost every American home. It is a well-known fact that the web is a valuable asset for research and learning. Unfortunately, it can also be a very dangerous place for teens. With social networking sites like Myspace and Friendster, chat rooms, instant messaging, and online role-playing video games, our children are at access to almost anyone. Sue Scheff, along with Parent's Universal Resource Experts™, is tackling the dangers of the web. Keeping tabs on our teens' online habits doesn't just keep them safe from online predators. More and more parents are becoming wary of the excessive hours their teens spend surfing the web, withdrawing from family, friends and activities they used to enjoy. Internet Addiction is a devastating problem facing far too many teens and their families. While medical professionals have done limited research on the topic, more and more are recognizing this destructive behavior...

Wow - what a great website I was just introduced to! Check out this page for Parent Information: Parents are busy with a full workday, helping their children with homework, engaging their children in after school activities, and so on. This doesn't leave a whole lot of time for physical activity in your own lives. Do you realize that schools have devalued and cut physical education to the point that the majority of children get one day of PE per week? Children today have a shorter life expectancy than their parents for the first time in one hundred years because of the epidemic of obesity, according to Dr. William Klish, Professor of Pediatrics and Head of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine. Lack of PE at school is a disservice to your child's health. Speak up. Demand that your school offers daily quality physical education. Use PE4life as a resource partner to enhance your school's PE program. A recent study revealed that 81% of teachers and 85% of pa...

Palm Beach County School District passes new anti-bullying policy By Marc Freeman South Florida Sun-Sentinel November 9, 2008 School bullies tease, threaten, stalk, humiliate, steal and get physical. They spell all sorts of trouble for students and teachers. But their reign of campus terror is under assault. The Palm Beach County School Board on Wednesday tentatively adopted its first policy targeting bullying and harassment of all types, including cyberbullying, in accordance with a new state law. Among the requirements: prompt investigations of alleged incidents; penalties as serious as suspension and expulsion for making false accusations of bullying or retaliating against anyone reporting a genuine bullying incident; and immediate notice to the parents of the bullies and their victims. "It's a conscientiousness-raising policy for sure," said Rick Lewis, a coordinator in the School District's Safe Schools department. The anti-bullying measures are results of the Le...

Source: Connect with Kids “There is a connection between physical activity and learning and it is a positive one - children who are more physically fit do better academically. They concentrate better in the classroom [and] they perform better on math and reading examinations.” – Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. Surgeon General In an effort to boost test performance, many schools are taking time away from physical education and using it for more time in class. But studies now show that rigorous physical activity can actually lead to better grades. In Broward County, Florida, many schools are getting the message. Fourth grade teacher Katherine Bennett takes her students out for a five-minute walk after a long lesson. “I found that when my children start yawning and they start not paying attention, then one way I can refocus those children is to take them out for a brief, little fun walk,” she says. “And by the time we’ve got them back into the room again, they’re ...

These Moms Know Best is a website that combines parenting with great insight and ideas for moms! As a parent, do you and your teenager have challenging mornings on school days? Are you wondering what you can do to help make your school mornings less stressful? Here are 6 tips to help you and your teenager experience a stress free school morning. Visit: http://www.thesemomsknowbest.com/categories/Motherhood/Teens/ for more!

Valerie speaks with Sue Scheff about her book, Wit's End "Resources for Saving Your OUT-OF-CONTROL TEEN ," and Kathleen Duey, about her book, "My Animal Family." Also, Ramona Rubio joins to discuss her book, "The Alchemical Woman." Listen here: http://www.globaltalkradio.com/shows/callingallauthors/