Parents Help

Parenting Tips on Dealing with the Effects of Teen Pregnancy

According to statistics from CDC, there were over 409,000 infants born to teens between 15 to 19 years old in 2009. About two-thirds of this number was born to teens younger than 18 years old. Teen pregnancy is a growing concern, and along with this come other issues. Among western industrialized nations, the rate of STDs, unwanted births, teenage pregnancies and abortions is significantly higher in the US than other countries.

One of the effects of teen pregnancy is economic in nature. Each year, taxpayers pay over $9 billion because of unwanted pregnancies among teens. This is because of the increased need for healthcare, budget for foster care, and loss of revenue due to underemployment among teen moms, and incarceration rates of teen parents. Aside from the economic effects of teen pregnancy on the country, there are other effects that teens should be aware of. It's best if parents or other responsible adults in the family take the time to explain this to teens and educate them of the other effects that teen pregnancy has on them.

High school is a very important time in a teen's life. It's supposed to prepare one for the demands of high school and eventually, real life where they are expected to gain independence and become productive adults. However, not all students fit in traditional public schools. Some really have other needs and situations that need to be met and forcing them into a traditional school system is often an exercise in futility.

Parenting troubled teens is a huge challenge. Keeping them in school can prove to be quite the task, and helping them achieve academic excellence is oftentimes relegated to the realm of wishful thinking. However, alternative schools for troubled teens have been enjoying considerable success in terms of the number of students that continue to college, and helping young people make a significantly positive change in their lives.

According to researches done by the National Institute of Health, drinking is the substance of choice among young people. Among 12 to 20 years old, around 18% of the total population admit to engaging in binge drinking and 6% in heavy drinking. Underage drinking is a big factor in teenage death, injuries, and risky behavior such as sexual promiscuity, violence, and others.

There comes a point in teens' lives when parents feel that their influence is considerably less important than it used to be. While it's true that there are many strong influences in teens' lives, the influence of their parents still play an important part on how they will form their own decisions. Teens are always looking at parents' words, decisions, and actions. They take cues from this along with other strong influences coming from peers and other role models.

Decades after studies about the correlation between ADHD and diet were initiated, the topic still seems to be controversial to scientists. Different studies present varying results and these results are interpreted differently in various scientific circles. The fact still remains, however, that clinical dieticians and families who have gone through diet restrictions continue with diet modification for the simple reason that they get results. There are people with ADHD who experience alleviated symptoms when they are able to stick to a restricted diet, and the recurrence of these symptoms when they fail to stick to their diet.

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