Today, May 7th, is National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) points out that although teen pregnancy rates are the lowest they’ve been in 30 years, they’re not low enough.

Before age 20, 31% of teen girls will get pregnant.

The AAP, along with 200 other national organizations, is promoting National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy through a variety of ways.

If you’re comfortable talking with your teen about sex and pregnancy, visit the StayTeen.org website and take the quiz with your child to see what your teen would do in a risky sexual situation.  This should prove to open up a great dialogue. Also, pediatricians across the country are talking with their teen patients about this national campaign and encouraging them to think about what to do “in the moment” before the moment arises.

Much more information about the national campaign can be found at the campagin’s website. While all parents don’t agree on how to and what to discuss in regards to sex with their teens, all parents probably agree that preventing teen pregnancy is a must.

I’m bored. There’s nothing to do. How many times have you heard that? Probably too many. The next time you hear that same old, same old saying, see if your kids are up for disc golf.

Disc golf, or Frisbee golf, is a fun activity that is fun for kids of all ages but especially teenagers. You may or may not have seen it played but it’s a pretty simple premise. The object is to land small discs in strategically placed metal baskets in as few throws as possible. Part Frisbee. Part golf. All fun.

It’s easy enough for your teens to set up their own course in the neighborhood or a local park. If they want an official course, pdga.com can tell them where to find one. So, next time your teens tell you that they have nothing to do, tell them you have an idea…

Is your teen in real trouble or is she just being a teen? Rebellious. Uncommunicative. Sullen. According to Mark Burdick, a psychologist and educational consultant, these words desribe your typical teenager. But other behaviors can signal a more serious problem.

Dr. Burdick notes that certain actions or non-actions may indicate that your child is out of control and in need of help. Dr. Burdick cautions parents to watch for the follwing things:

• A decline in personal hygiene
• Loss of interest in usual activities
• A completely new set of friends

If parents notice these behaviors or other troubling signs, it might be time to get help. Dr. Burdick suggests that when you can no longer effectively parent, you need to turn to experts like therapists doctors and other professionals who can get you the help you need. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need to get your teen back from the brink.

If animation, comic books, or Japanese anime make the hearts of young adults you know skip a beat, then they might just be interested in the following list. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has compiled a list of the 2008 Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens. According to many reading experts, Graphic Novels-known to us older folks as comic books-are excellent reading material. Trust me…teens could be reading much worse or even not reading at all. Share the list and share the love for Graphic Novels!

Laika by Nick Abadzis

Re-Gifters by Mike Carey

The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam by Anne Marie Fleming

 Blue Beetle: Shell-shocked and Blue Beetle: Road Trip by Keith Giffen

King of Thorn,  volumes 1 & 2 by Yuji Iwahara.

Sidescrollers by Matthew Loux

After School Nightmare, volumes 1-5 by Setona Mizushiro

Emma, volumes 1-5 by Karou Mori

The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

Would you rather talk to your child about sex or money? According to a new survey, you’d rather give the birds and the bees speech than the dollars and cents one.

The Charles Schwab survey polled 1,000 American parents with teenagers, aged 13-18. Here’s what they found out:

97%-Parents who believe it’s important to teach their teens to save and invest for retirement.

14%-Those who have taught their kids what a 401(k) is.

69%-Parents who feel more prepared to discuss sex with their teens than money matters.

34%-Parents who have taught their teens how to balance a checkbook.

29%-Parents who have explained how credit card interest and fees work.

70%-Parents who have taught their kids how to do laundry.

43%-Parents who have taught their kids how to pay bills.

So, when is the right time to talk money with kids? Parents are genuinely concerned about it but aren’t necessarily talking about it with their children. It might be a tough issue to tackle, but the sooner the better, according to Chuck.

Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, teamed with Charles Wilson to write Chew On This:  Everything You Don’t Want to Know about Fast Food, a book aimed to arm teenagers with the facts they should–but probably don’t–know about the fast food industry of which they are such an integral part. 

This 304-page book is an easy read that speaks to kids–no lectures here–about why they shouldn’t be ordering extra value meals or considering French fries as a food group.  Schlosser and Wilson provide information in an engaging way, a way in which the readers can’t help but critically think about the choices they make on a regular basis when it comes to fast food.

Schlosser and Wilson give a glance into the past of who, what, when, where, why and how the fast food industry took hold and were off and running before you could ask, “Would you like fries with that?”  Throughout the book, the authors provide interesting nuggets that will amaze kids and keep them thinking long after they learn facts like the following: 

“If you took the 13 billion hamburgers that Americans eat every year and put them in a straight line, they could circle the earth more than thirty-two times.” 

If your teen is looking for a good book (or if you’re on the prowl for yourself), pick up a copy of Chew on This. You won’t be disappointed…disgusted maybe…but not disappointed!

You’ve probably seen that startling statistic by now. It has run as a headline for most major news outlets: one out of every four girls has an STD, according to a first-of-its-kind federal study. Here are the details:

• Data collected in a 2003-2004 government health survey
• 838 girls in the study between the ages of 14-19
• 26.5% tested positive for an STD

18%-HPV

4%-chlamydia

2.5%-trichomoniasis

2%-genital herpes

• Nearly 50% of the African American girls tested had at least 1 STD
• 20% of Caucasian and 20% of Mexican American girls had at least 1 STD
• 3 millions girls nationwide, as estimated according to these statistics, have an STD

Two myths that teens have about STDs were also reported:

1. The withdrawl method will protect against STDs.
2. Douching with Coca-Cola kills STD germs.

The study raises a lot of questions for teens, parents, educators, health professionals, government officials-everyone really. How do people define sex? Is abstinence-only sex education enough? Who is responsible for teaching teens about sex? Do teens view themselves as immune or invulnerable to STDs? Should girls be vaccinated against HPV? At what age should girls begin to be screened for these diseases?

Everyone has their own opinions on this topic. Hopefully, this latest study will get people to discuss them. Many adults don’t know where to begin when they talk to teens about sex and STDs…these statistics might be the perfect place to start.

It wasn’t too long along that your tween was singing those very Beyonce lyrics with her iPod affixed to her ears. And guess what? It was probably dangerously loud! That’s why the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) is urging teens to “Turn it To the Left” in an awareness campaign about the dangers of hearing loss.

In fact, more than 5 million 6- to 19-year-olds have noise-induced hearing loss, often simply because they don’t keep their music’s volume to a minimum, they say. Here’s what you as a parent can do to help prevent this unnecessary health issue:

• Make sure they turn down the volume whenever they listen to music, especially while wearing headphones or riding in the car.
• Buy portable media or music players with “volume limiters” (they may come with the device or can be bought separately).
• Encourage your kids to give their ears a rest once in a while if they don headphones all the time.
• Have them wear ear protection (earplugs or earmuffs) when using machinery — like in metal or wood shop at school, or while mowing the lawn.
• Ask them to consider wearing earplugs at concerts, especially if they’re sitting anywhere near the stage or speakers. They’ll still be able to hear the music — it just won’t be as deafening. And they don’t need to worry about their image — most earplugs are so tiny that no one will even notice they’re there.
• Turn on toys to check out their volume. If you hold it up to your ears and it hurts, don’t buy it. If it’s already in your kids’ toy bin, take out the batteries and/or put tape over the speakers, says the U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs).
• Emphasize the importance of moving away from any noise that’s uncomfortable.

You should speak to your pediatrician if you notice your child has difficulty hearing normal volumes, complains of ringing in the ears, or if you notice unusual speech development.

Who turns up the volume in your home — you, your kids, or your spouse?

… smoke-free movies. In this case, we’re talking about the American Academy of Pediatrics and its campaign to get the movies to “quit smoking.” They and other leading health organizations say movies glamourize tobacco and smoking, and in turn make it attractive to impressionable teens. That’s why they’re calling upon the movie industry to cease tobacco content in youth-rated films.

Just how widespread is this issue? Consider this scary stat: In the first half of 2007, 36 percent of G/PG movies, 69 percent of PG-13 movies, and 86 percent of R-rated movies contained images of people smoking, according to a study by the University of California-San Francisco.

Here are the AAP’s suggestions for the entertainment industry:

1. Rate new smoking movies “R.”
Any film that shows or implies tobacco should be rated “R.” The only exceptions should be when the presentation of tobacco clearly and unambiguously reflects the dangers and consequences of tobacco use or is necessary to represent the smoking of a real historical figure.

2. Certify no payoffs.
The producers should post a certificate in the closing credits declaring that no one on the production received anything of value (cash money, free cigarettes or other gifts, free publicity, interest-free loans or anything else) from anyone in exchange for using or displaying tobacco. (SFM is working with attorneys on how certification can be made binding and enforceable.)

3. Require strong anti-smoking ads.
Studios and theaters should require a genuinely strong anti-smoking ad (not one produced by a tobacco company) to run before any film with any tobacco presence, in any distribution channel, regardless of its MPAA rating.

4. Stop identifying tobacco brands.
There should be no tobacco brand identification nor the presence of tobacco brand imagery (such as billboards) in the background of any movie scene.

Do you think limiting images of smoking in film will help curb teen smoking?

Before you know it, long gone will be the diapers, tantrums and bedtime battles, and you’ll enter the tween and teen years and — ugh! — dating issues.

Here’s some advice that I plan to print out and keep on the brain when all those touchy-feeley teen dating issues come into play. It comes from Marilyn Maxwell, M.D., a Saint Louis University physician and contributing author to Questions Kids Ask About Sex: Honest Answers for Every Age:

1. Set the ground rules and stick to them. Guidelines can range from curfews to acceptable activities. Some parents also require the date to first spend time getting to know the family.
2. Consider your child’s maturity level. Many parents set a certain age, say 16, for dating, but not all children mature at the same rate.
3. Encourage group activities rather than solo dates, especially for younger teens.
4. Incorporate dates into family activities. This time should not be used to drill the date, but to get to know him and have fun together.
5. Be involved in your child’s plans. Know where he is going, with whom and when he will be home.
6. Provide supervision. Leaving children alone for hours or not requiring accountability is a set-up for undesirable behavior.
7. Watch for dangerous behaviors such as rollercoaster emotions, neediness, isolation, verbal disrespect or physical abuse.
8. Pick your battles. Don’t forbid a relationship unless it is abusive, controlling or isolating. Maxwell also says teens shouldn’t date someone more than two years older because of the maturity differences.
9. If your child has already had sex, tell her that it is never too late to start making good decisions and encourage her to make a commitment to wait until marriage.
10. Loosen up on the reins. While parents need to set appropriate boundaries, it’s important to entrust your teen with increasing responsibilities to manage themselves.

Hopefully, I can file these tidbits away for a long time. Then again, J.J. has been beaming all week, ever since his preschool girl pal gave him a Valentine. Hmm…

Parents of tweens/teens: How old was your child when dating/relationship issues first emerged?