Freshman/Sophomore Parent Night Resources recommended by Dr. Hillery Keith:
You're Wearing That? Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation by D. Tannen. Random House 2006
I Only Say This Because I Love You: Talking to Your Parents, Partner, Sibs, and Kids When You're All Adults by D. Tannen. New York: Ballantine 2002
www.tarnowcenter.com
Tarnow Center for Self-Management
The Tarnow Center is an interdisciplinary practice incorporating the fields of psychiatry, psychology, speech and language, education, vocational work and counseling.
www.parentteen.com
Parenting Teens
- Offers a wide variety of information pertaining to parenting teens in today's society.
http://cheis.memebot.com/index.html
Coalition of Higher Education for Students
- Offers support and resources for the Latino community in the Houston area.
TIPS FOR PARENTS
Help Your Teen Make Wise Decisions:
- Give your teen the opportunity to make choices regarding non-critical areas, even when it would be easier to tell them what to do.
- Ask your teens opinion about what should be done in varying situations.
- Permit your teen to decide how to solve problems; explore together the consequences of certain decisions.
- Let your teen offer evidence to show they are ready for new privileges and responsibilities.
- When conflicts arise, ask your teen to take responsibility to resolve the situation in a way that works for all involved.
- If your teen is angry, have them cool down rather than making a rash decision.
- Give your teens space to make poor (but not life-threatening) decisions. Teens, like all of us, can learn from past mistakes.
- Offer understanding when your teen makes mistakes in judgment, then discipline if needed.
- Acknowledge your teens good decisions. Point these successes out when they are making future decisions.
Communicate With Your Teen:
- Be available for your teen. Try to make a time to talk to them each day.
- Praise your teen when deserved and show them love. Even if it seems that it doesn’t matter to them, it does!
- Show that you are paying attention using good eye contact and listening skills.
- Be positive and encouraging.
- Give your teen the chance to explain themselves before you jump to conclusions.
- Keep communication avenues open; avoid using terms like "never" or "always," and using guilt or judging words.
- Be brief, but get your message across. Teens tend to tune out nagging while retaining the message of a shorter conversation for a longer period.
- Practice supportive communication. A healthy compromise between parents and teens leaves both feeling accomplished and promotes good negotiating skills.
- Don’t feel like you have to know everything. It is better to find things out together with your teen than to misinform them.
*Adapted from The Positive Line
