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

There's no doubt about it – college is ridiculously expensive. From tuition, room and board, food and fun, the best four years of your life can really hurt your pocketbook. Rest assured, you aren't alone in your agony. Thankfully, there are several different ways to help lessen the burden of college tuition and living expenses. With a little patience and a lot of creativity, you too can start earning money to pay for college. Here are 15 creative ways to pay for college: Do Odd Jobs : If you want to work to pay for school, you should consider doing some odd jobs to bring in extra cash. Odd jobs vary in strangeness and pay. For example, you can donate your plasma, become a test subject at your school's health center, pose nude for a life drawing class or walk dogs for money every month and put it all toward school. Go to a Tuition-Free College : If taking out student loans or working three jobs to pay for college don't appeal to you, then w...

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 ...

As second semester continues, more and more parents are struggling with their teens to get them to attend school.  It never ceases to amaze me that so many teenagers in high school "assume" they can just drop out and get a GED.  Generations prior, this was frowned upon and the only teens that did there were juvenile delinquents.  This has changed. Do you find yourself forcing your teen to go to school?  Are they failing when they have the potential to succeed?  Has your honor roll student barely getting C's?  Classic signs of underachieving can have an underlying issue to something bigger. Has their peer group changed?  Are they experimenting with drugs?  Is it "only" a joint now and then? (Seriously some parents think this way).  What they aren't realizing is the pot they smoked 20-30 years ago is not the pot these kids are getting today. You have come to the realization that you need outside help.  Local therapy has been exhauste...

Order today! Google is the world’s top search engine used by millions each day. Anyone can be defamed easily, all searchable through Google. Author Sue Scheff talks about the Google Bomb and its impact on our life. The Internet as a technology for information and quick, inexpensive communication may be fascinating for millions around the globe, but if put to malicious use against someone, it can be a paralyzing weapon. That is what happened in the case of Sue Scheff , author of Google Bomb (HCI Books, 2009). In her book, co-authored with lawyer John W. Dozier, Sue tells the story of her victimization through serial defamatory attacks on the web that destroyed her professional career and trampled her personal reputation as well as her social life. Just by Googling her name, or that of her organization, countless people could mark her and her organization as evil entities, all because of false, malicious, and unchecked accusations (and even effusive abuse) made against...

Who do you believe online? You have resolved yourself to the fact that you can no longer control your teen's behavior as they are spiraling out-of-control.  Where did that cute little child go? Actually, they are still there, but deeply buried under the layers of peer pressure, society, technology, divorces, and life in general.  Life is not perfect, however with teens (although they believe they are nearly adults) they are not mature enough to understand that divorce isn't their fault, a parent losing a job isn't their fault, a death is not their fault, being bullied isn't their fault - and before you know it, they have baggage that would outweigh even adults. Now you get online - where can I find help!  I am at my wit's end!!!! You start to see all these websites, clearing houses, marketing arms, toll free numbers etc... Then just when you think you found a program that can help, you find some very harsh website of disgruntled parents and other kids that ...

How is your teen doing in school? Are you at your wit's end with your teen?  School is back in session and your teen is either not attending classes or decided he doesn't need school anymore - let's just get a GED.  Seriously - that is the way some  teens are thinking now.  Generations prior, GED's were frowned upon, and usually meant you had a child that was a juvenile delinquent. Today we have many resources for parents to get their teens back on a positive road, but it takes time, determination and research to find that right program. They will come under many names such as, Wilderness Programs, Therapeutic Boarding Schools, Residential Treatment Centers, Behavior Modification, Emotional Growth , etc.....  It is important to realize what you are looking at and what you need for your individual teen. In my prior Blog posts below, I have given you many tips - here are some more: Boot Camps - In my opinion, stay clear of anything punitive.  Th...

Coming to the conclusion you are in need of residential treatment for your teen is not an easy admission for any parent.  It is a point of realization that you can no longer help them and by denying them the opportunity of an intervention, you may be enabling them into a dark future. As my previous Blog post stated, finding the right placement for your teen is a tedious and time consuming job, however extremely necessary.  This is a major financial and emotional step and as a parent, you need to take the reins and be part of this process. Some thoughts and tips (from my own experiences) are the following: Beware of all these toll free numbers that go to places unknown - are marketing arms for a variety of programs and usually don't have your child's best interest, rather they are suggesting programs or schools that will " pay " for the referral. With this thought- always speak with the owner or the director.  Someone that has a vested interest in your child...

It's not "just pot anymore The first semester of school is over, now we are on to the final few months - and your teen is debating whether they "want" to finish school?  Excuse me - you mean teens have options? Believe it or not, yes they do!  In Florida, at the age of 16 your teen can sign themselves out of school - of course they need your consent, however if you don't, truancy charges will linger. Now what?  Virtual school? Homeschooling? GED?  Who would have thought - generations prior graduating high school was  never an option.  Today is a new world. Who is in control? Let's compound this and you suspect or know your teen is using drugs, drinking and seriously mom, it's no big deal?!  Really? Now they develop an attitude of defiance, start sneaking out, completely disrespectful to your home and your boundaries..... You find this is getting out-of-control and you realize that you have a limited time to get them help since at the ag...

Is your teenager sharing too much of their information online? In a recent survey on TeenVogue.com, 94 percent of readers polled said that teenagers should be more concerned about privacy on the Internet. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, has become a go-to site for college recruiters as well as employers .  Does your teen know the consequences of posting their party pictures, or language they should only be using privately (if using at all)? Do you recall a recent Examiner article, Employers now asking for your Facebook link when applying for a job ? Although it can be nearly impossible to control or monitor everything our teens do, it is imperative you stress the importance of the lasting effects that an innocent photo or a questionable action that is posted on your Facebook page can result in - years from now. Many kids are not able to grasp that two to five years from now is really not a long time.  Like many kids, it seems like forev...

It isn't "just pot" anymore. When it comes to parenting your teenagers it is never too late or too often to talk about the dangers of drug use . Many parents will ignore the warning signs or make excuses for them , but when reality hits home that your teen is using drugs, it is critical you get involved.  Communication is always key to prevention, however there are times when your teen is no longer listening.  It doesn’t mean you stop talking. Intervention starts at home. If you suspect drug use , talk to your teen.  If they admit to using drugs, and are determined not to quit or even tell you they can quit if they want, take it to the next level.  Seek out local adolescent therapy or counseling.  In some cases this will be a brickwall but in other situations it can be the beginning of understanding why your teen is turning to substance abuse . If your teen escalates to a level that is uncontrollable, or simply defiant to a...

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...