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How many parents have encouraged their teenage kids to drink at home believing that in doing so it is reducing the risk of their teen engaging in harmful use of alcohol? I know my parents did and [...]

One of the fears parents have about their children’s adolescence is that they will develop a drug or alcohol problem. The fear is not irrational. Many teens will experiment with various [...]

Ever wish you could grab snap shot into the collective mind of a generation.  Well for those of us down under we get a chance each year to have a pretty good look. Every year in Australia a [...]

One of the great differences that emerge between parents and teenagers during adolescence is their attitudes about parties. Teenagers can’t wait to start attending more “grown [...]

Can you remember the first time your were offered drugs?  Maybe it was a cigarette down behind the toilet block, a swig of whiskey at a your friends house, or trying a joint at a high school [...]

Teenagers want independence. For many nothing symbolises independence more than obtaining their drivers license. It is one of the clear modern day rites of passage to adulthood. I can still [...]

This is the second part of two-part post on conversations parents absolutely must have with their teenagers, preferably before the teen years. I want to acknowledge before continuing that talking [...]

Taking risks is part of life. It is most definitely part of growing up. If we don’t take risks we never learn about our own capabilities or discover the joy of new experiences.  Risk can be good, [...]

I am sure many of us have been there before.  You are running out of time, you have long since passed the point of being tired, and you still have a lot more to do! Whether it was for study, [...]

What do today’s teenagers think about the big questions of life? In a consumer society like ours, is there a danger teens consider life to be about the acquisition of stuff?  Are they too busy [...]