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

  Talking to Teens About Tragedy   Many of us remember Columbine as if it was yesterday. Since then the number of shootings, including school tragedies is overwhelming. It never gets easier to hear about, but what's more concerning is the impact that it's having on our young people. News is a 24-hour cycle these days not to mention your teen's social media feeds. Any news event about at tragedy will be played and replayed as details emerge. Chances are they will hear about a tragedy before their parents thanks to the internet.   Peers talk, televisions are left on for snippets to be overheard, and social media is a constant source of news. More often than not those facts your child receives about a tragedy won’t be accurate and can fuel anxiety. Teens need hear the facts , and you are  their best source.     How do we talk to our teens about these tragedies?   It's time to turn to the experts.   Dr. Michele Borba, a leading educational psycholo...

Parenting teens is challenging. Communicating with teens can be even more difficult. During your children’s teenage years you’ll likely encounter a period of time when it seems like you have nothing in common with each other and carrying on conversations is akin to climbing Mt. Everest. This is heavily influenced by the fact that teenagers and the adults who care for them are very different creatures and are at very different points in their lives. Understanding those differences will help open the lines of communication between you and the teen in your life. Check out these ideas for ways to get teens talking: Create a topic jar. A topic jar is a jar that you fill with different pieces of paper containing conversation topics. Each night at dinner a different person gets to choose a slip of paper from the jar and read it aloud. The reader gets to start the conversation. For example, the slip of paper could say, “Tell about something that surprised you today”. Ask op...

A common thread among parenting teens today is getting our teen to actually listen to us and open up.  Maybe they hear us, but do they listen?  Many know communication is key to parenting, but how can you get a teen to open up? Dr. Michele Borba , Parenting Expert and Educator, offers excellent tips to help us get in touch and stay in touch with our teens.  As an author of over 25 parenting books, she has sound advice and proven results with extensive research.  Her latest book, Big Book of Parenting Solutions , has been one of the top selling parenting book and every parent and teacher must own. From the expert herself, take the time to review Michele Borba's expert advice to help your teens to open up. Don’t push . Think of friends you really feel comfortable talking to. They’re usually calm, open, and not pushy. Use those same listening strategies whenever you’re with your child. Honor silence. Research shows that some kids need a bit lon...