Sometimes we have to step out of the box to educate and warn our teens. Sometimes we even have to capture their interest for more than just a few moments to make some impact. All of the mothers and fathers of teens out there know that you can lose your...

I now and you know that our teens are busy evaluating each other. Today, though, even I was shocked when I learned that the male teens at Issaquah High School in Washington have a tradition of rating the teen girls' on hotness level. They have a specific website designated for...

Oh no, we are concerned about our teen daughters and body image, our teen daughters and eating disorders, our teen daughters and depression, sexuality and self-esteem. I apologize profusely for adding yet another issue to your list of issues to be concerned about. In my experience with parents, though, I...

The FDA has given approval to make the pill known as Plan B -- a progesterone pill -- available to teens age 15 and over on an over the counter basis and without a prescription. This will be put into place almost immediately. This pill is taken after...

Since the days when I was a teenager, teens have loved to share photos. Capturing moments and sharing memories has usually been a source of joy. Photos are, after all, intended to capture history, lovely moments and times spent together. They are also intended to bring a bit of happiness...

Senior year of high school is a mixed bag. It's not Santa's gift bag, but is instead a bag full of emotional joys, disappointments, separations and boredom. Yes, boredom.

Let's start with first semester of senior year. Both teens and parents are fretting over college applications, deadlines for these applications...

Today, I am going to turn all of my usual ways of looking at things on their collective heads.

Calm your teens down about all of the bombings, school shootings and alleged rapes of teens? I am not so sure that that is the route to go...

Just when I thought that I had heard it all, I learned about yet another disturbing trend among our teen girls. I spoke to you about the much desired thigh gap a few weeks ago. Apparently, many teen girls covet having a visible gap between their thighs. This is, according...

In my role as a clinical psychologist who talks to parents of teens and tweens all week long, I learn a lot about parents and their secrets. I know that there are lots of parents who are familiar with Facebook, but who have little idea of what to look for...

I think that I may be losing my mind. I need all of the parents of teens out there to help me. Listen, I rarely implore you to help me with reality testing but I need you now. Look -- I devote my life to the well-being of teens everywhere...

Victoria's Secret has launched a new ad campaign and this one is quite clear that it is targeting our younger teens, the ones who are barely out of middle school. Have a look for yourself. Let me tell you that I am not pleased. Nor do I think...

A recent study from the University of Georgia conducted by Pamela Orpinas and colleagues and published in the Journal of Research on Adolescence suggests that the answer may be no. Perhaps middle school and dating should be mutually exclusive. In their very carefully conducted study Orpinas and colleagues...

Dear Parents,

I am quite sure that you have all been in this situation at one time or another with at least one of your children. You know, when you pretty much know that your teens are going to drink alcohol at a party so you debate to yourself about...

Kids and teens are often dismissive of praise from their parents. I am sure that parents out there can relate to this, as we have been all been told at one time or another by one or several of our kids, "stop it mom" or even, "you're just saying that...

Oh dear. Our young tween and teen girls are being targeted again. And this time, it's a relatively new video game called "Disney's City Girl" that I am concerned about. Although this video game appears to be being marketed toward 20-somethings, I have a strong hunch that it...

Bullying and teasing are not infrequent experiences among teens. Approximately 30% of teens report having been either bullies or victims of bullying http://http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/teenage-bullying.html. While statistics on teasing are not available, it's reasonable to assume, based on experience, that almost every teen has probably experienced either teasing or bullying...

I have always been a fan of parents setting very clear expectations and consequences for their teenagers. If the expectations and consequences are clear before the teen breaks the rule, then the consequence can be put into place much more easily then if a consequence is put into place in...

You are reassured frequently that once your kids leave their teen years, they will look back and thank you for all of the things you made them do and things you wouldn't allow them to do. "Wait until they are older!" you are reassured, and then they will thank you....

Teen girls are, as we know, the group most likely to develop eating disorders and especially to develop anorexia nervosa. This is certainly nothing new, as this has been an issue for young women for several years. This is a particularly relevant issue this month, though, because February...

Many of us had or have female friends with a habit of devaluing their bodies out loud. How many times have we, as women, heard the following comments or been asked the following questions?

1. Do these jeans make my butt look fat?

2. I look so fat in that...