Blog | Radical Parenting

AOL News Reports: Youthology

March 3, 2010

Hi!

We got some great coverage in AOL news today on Youthology. Here is the first part of the article:

By Michelle Ruiz

(March 2) — As Will Smith once rapped: Parents just don’t understand.

But 24-year-old “youthologist” and “teen whisperer” Vanessa Van Petten might.

Moms and dads tap Van Petten to help them tackle one of parenthood’s dirtiest jobs — communicating with troubled teenagers in all of their text-messaging, door-slamming, curfew-breaking glory. For $150 an hour, Van Petten and her self-trained associate youthologists make house calls, bringing a hip “peer coaching” method to families in need.

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Counter-Intuitive Methods for Parenting Successful Kids

March 1, 2010

I was reading Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J Dubner and they had a really interesting section on what actually matters (statistically speaking) in parenting and raising smart and successful kids. I pulled out a few of their points to expand on for our readers, because I think they are fascinating.

What Matters:

1. The child’s parents have high socioeconomic status

Levitt and Dubner proved that the higher the economic status of the parents, the more educated and successful the children. This is not too much of a leap as typically parents with higher economic status can put their kids in the right schools, programs and get extra help if needed.

This is a preview of Counter-Intuitive Methods for Parenting Successful Kids. Read the full post (769 words, estimated 3:05 mins reading time)

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3 Ways to Make Brushing Teeth Fun for Kids [Guest Post]

February 28, 2010

In recent years, the percentage of kid’s ages 2 to 5 with cavities has gone up from 24% to 28%.

Just like bedtime and baths, brushing teeth is another activity that seems to always create a battle between kids and parents. Whether it’s because the kids don’t know how to do it right, don’t want to do it right, or just plain don’t like it, this is a problem that has to be addressed because poor dental hygiene habits at a young age will create bigger health problems in the future. Just like parents read a bedtime story to help ease kids into sleep and add toys to the tub to make baths more enjoyable, so can parents enhance teeth brushing in a way that will make kids think it’s fun.

This is a preview of 3 Ways to Make Brushing Teeth Fun for Kids [Guest Post]. Read the full post (479 words, 1 image, estimated 1:55 mins reading time)

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Reading for Fun? What?!

February 27, 2010

Melissa is a 16 year old from Valley Stream, New York. I like to explore new places, fashion trends, and enjoy writing, which is my biggest passion.

As much as I love going out with my friends on a Friday night, sometimes I just like to cuddle up on my sofa with a blanket and a good book, especially with these past snow days in New York. Right now, Nicholas Sparks has become a popular author on my reading list. I am currently reading A Walk to Remember, and I have The Notebook next on my list. My other girlfriends have taken a cue from me and have decided to pick up Spark’s 2006 novel Dear John, since the movie has just hit theaters.

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That’s What She Said

February 27, 2010

Sara Samuel is a 16-year old teen writer who goes to boarding school in New Jersey. She loves reading and playing soccer. Her least favorite things include Physics, waiting, and soy products. i loved you before i met you... by amber.spurlock.

One-third of all teenage girls, or 750,000 young women, will experience a pregnancy before they are 19 years old. The statistics and the frequency with which unplanned teen pregnancy occurs are undoubtedly alarming. But what, exactly, is the causing the increase in teenage motherhood?

This is a preview of That’s What She Said. Read the full post (419 words, 1 image, estimated 1:41 mins reading time)

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2-26-2010: Articles for Parents This Week

February 26, 2010

Hello Readers,

Exciting news, we have just released our Radical Workbook written by 20 of our teen interns for parents!

For families of kids with ALL ages, this workbook helps families bond through activities, journal prompts and other creative projects:

The Radical Parent Workbook: Child Activity Book and Family Journal

I am in Florida this week speaking to teens and parents, welcome to all of our new subscribers!

Also if you are in Portland: I am loving: www.kisspdx.com

This is a preview of 2-26-2010: Articles for Parents This Week. Read the full post (457 words, estimated 1:50 mins reading time)

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Bullying From the Bully’s Perspective

February 25, 2010

“No, no way. Alyssa better not be in first place. I am always first in track. I hate her, she is such a stuck up little brat.”

…

“Why are the other guys looking at Alyssa? She always gets all of the attention. Everyone likes her more. Why can’t I be more like her. I hate her.”

…

“What if Alyssa does better at me in track, and then no one thinks I am good at track anymore. I am going to make Alyssa’s life miserable so she cannot be good at track.”

…

This is a preview of Bullying From the Bully’s Perspective. Read the full post (514 words, estimated 2:03 mins reading time)

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The Do’s and Don’ts of Dating Someone Popular

February 24, 2010

Sam is a 15-year-old from Montgomery, NJ. She enjoys playing tennis, writing and Community Service. Her favorite subject in school is History.

You know the story. Quirky Girl or Boy gets The Boy or Girl of Their Dreams. There should be a happily ever after, right? Well, from what I’ve experienced, not always. Below are a few tips on how to (and how not to) handle some of the toughest things about dating someone more popular.

Getting Their Attention

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5 Easy Tips to Live a Greener Lifestyle!

February 24, 2010

Laura is a 17-year-old from Ontario, Canada. She enjoys reading, traveling, and music. In her free time, she loves watching Friends reruns.

It is now widely known that reducing our environmental impact is not only a duty to our irreplaceable Earth, but a requirement for our not-so-distant future. At the rate our species is consuming natural resources and polluting our environment, we are causing extreme climate shifts on our planet. This is why we need to take initiative and do our part for our home, as our future may not be so bright if we ignore it.

This is a preview of 5 Easy Tips to Live a Greener Lifestyle!. Read the full post (568 words, 5 images, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)

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Love and Friendship

February 24, 2010

Gema is an 19-year old from Miami, FL. She loves reading and writing young adult fiction and claims to pass out in the presence of sterile wit.

I know many girls (the one in the mirror included) that went through the “boy crazy” phase. Crushes were numbered and categorized by degree of attraction and boyfriends were used up and discarded with a trail of complaints stuck to the soles of their shoes. False logic proved to girls that boys could never be “just friends”. Every time someone so much as smiled at them, the imagination would jumpstart images of the two holding hands, kissing and so on.

This is a preview of Love and Friendship. Read the full post (487 words, 1 image, estimated 1:57 mins reading time)

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