Does Your Teen Avoid Eating in Public? If So, They May Need Help

Even though they may eat normally at home, kids who are self-conscious about eating in public may have a condition known as eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). They might also be at risk for anorexia. These teens (most frequently girls, but not always) might not have the classic symptoms of full-blown eating disorders, but their behavior can include obsessive dieting, occasional purging and chewing but not swallowing food. Because they eat normally at home, it is more difficult for them – and their parents – to recognize there’s a problem.

Their behavior grows out of a misguided effort to control their surroundings. During adolescence, they are simultaneously dealing with many changes in their lives and with an increased awareness of what other people think of them. As a result, they start to limit what and when they eat so they can at least control how they are perceived by others. Unfortunately, the message that guides their actions is, “Eating less is good.  Being smaller is good.”

Parents should look for warning signs that indicate whether professional help is needed to avoid an escalation to anorexia or bulimia.

Your Teen Might Be "Ratting You Out" Online!

As kids and teens continue treating their online postings as a diary for the entire world to see, some parents are getting busted as a result. The police and other authorities troll the Internet for information related to illegal and improper activities, and sometimes the trail leads them to details that cause serious problems for parents.

The postings are not usually intended to cause trouble, but they can cover topics like keg purchases for underage friends, parents’ drug use or job loss while a mortgage application is pending. Parents have also been fired or demoted because of private information posted by their kids.

Just as everyone needs to protect their identity online, kids should be reminded that what they write can come back to haunt them – and may even hurt their families.

Teens with Parents Who Have Cancer May Show Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms

It’s no surprise that a cancer diagnosis produces stress and anxiety for entire families.  However, the stress may be so high for teens whose parents are ill that they experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). The symptoms, which technically fall short of actual post-traumatic stress disorder, are most severe during the first year after diagnosis and usually lessen over time.

Although research shows that ill parents may be more in tune with stress-related changes in their kids, parents who are not ill generally don’t recognize the full impact a parent’s cancer diagnosis can have on them. This may be because they are more focused on caring for their ill spouse, keeping the household running and dealing with their own emotions. Parents who are ill tend to be more sensitive to changes in their children’s behavior; one reason may be the guilt they feel about their own diagnosis.

Stressed, anxious teens may appear withdrawn, depressed, have physical complaints or act more aggressively than usual. PTSS is characterized by recurrent and intrusive distressing memories of an event or situation and avoidance of thoughts, feelings or conversations associated with it. In such situations, it may be necessary to consult with a health professional for guidance for your teen and the entire family.

Is Your Child At Risk for Early Sexual Activity?

Teens without healthy social networks and peer support or those who have been “picked on” by teachers are more likely to begin having sex by the time they are 13 years old.

The reasons for this early activity are not fully understood, but contributing factors may be:

• Girls with a poor self-image or those who have been ostracized by their peers see sex as a way to become “popular”
• Sex becomes one of several “aggressive” behaviors, like fighting, drug and alcohol use and stealing, in reaction to being picked on (including verbal abuse from teachers)
• Lack of interest in school

Lack of adequate support from friends and adults in positions of authority leave these kids searching for alternatives to building their self-esteem. Sex becomes their way of trying to feel better about themselves and, like eating disorders, helps to gain some control over their environment.

Being ostracized by other children can be devastating, so parents should stay sensitive to their teen’s moods and determine if situations at school might be affecting them. If there are problems with other students or teachers, you may want to contact the school. You can also encourage your kids to make new friends since, as one researcher puts it, “even having a single good friend can protect children from loneliness and depression that result from rejection and victimization.”

Selling Children:
Find out how media impacts kids!

Experts agree that too often television, music, lyrics and movies (and the advertising messages surrounding them) sell discontent, playing upon children’s youth and vulnerability. They say that media literacy – learning to understand these messages – can actually help kids learn to think for themselves. Watch Selling Children to understand the impact of marketing and advertising on kids – and how it affects their health and well being.

Click here to get yours today and to preview the video.

Call
(888) 598-KIDS