Banning hugs and school violence
In his column a week ago, Leonard Pitts had this to say:Sometimes -- times of pain, times of commiseration, times of affection, times of joy -- you just need to be held. So I was appalled to read this...
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Squishing your waist, smoothing your face
The Washington Post's technology columnist recently wrote about a new brand of camera that - you guessed it! - automatically washes away wrinkles and slims the person in the picture. Here's what he...
View ArticleHome alone or home not-alone?
The parental decision of when to start leaving kids at home alone is often fraught with anxiety. Of course, in this age of cell phones, it's perhaps a bit easier, because the child will always be able...
View ArticleA suicide
On Sunday night a young man, a teenager, took his own life. He was a senior at the same school where my daughter in is Kindergarten. The outpouring of pain and love is overwhelming.We are a relatively...
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Parents' sexuality
I have mentioned in the past that talking with your children about your own sexuality is generally a bad idea. However, there may be times when it is warranted.The blog Sexuality In Art recently...
View ArticleSex Ed Video Contest!
A group of organizations is holding a contest for the best short video by a young person. The contest focus is: Why is sex so interesting and sex ed so boring? There are already some movies submitted...
View ArticleBirth control in the schools
The school board in Portland, Maine has voted to allow prescription birth control to be distributed in the Middle School Health Center without parental permission or notification. Parents will need to...
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Images of sex on teen TV
There's lots of talk about how racy or sex-filled television shows are likely to increase sexual activity among teenagers.But the study linked above, and much of the rest of the talk on this topic,...
View ArticleIntergenerational communities
I have just begun to volunteer with my church's youth group (high school age). We're a new-ish church, and the youth group is quite small - only three kids, really, and they aren't terribly close. So...
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Boys and masturbation - follow-up
Several weeks ago I wrote about what boys need to know about masturbation. One reader took exception to my statement that: "Lotion is a good idea, get yourself some or ask a parent to get you some."...
View ArticleSistas on the Rise
This is a fabulous organization: Sistas on the Rise. Here is what they say about themselves:Sistas on the Rise is a space for young women of color ages 13-21, to take ownership and power over their...
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Zits by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
Good morning, folks, and TGIF! I'm all worn out from the week, so I'll let Mr. Scott and Mr. Borgman do the heavy-lifting for me.Yesterday's Zits strip (8/25/07) was a great example of a parent sharing...
View ArticleGenarlow Wilson and Underage Sex
I have written about Genarlow Wilson before. He's the young Georgia man who was sentenced to 10 years without parole for having consensual oral sex at age 17 with a 15 year old. The Wikipedia page on...
View ArticleThe Legality of Underage Sex
As I was leaving on Friday, I wrote briskly about Genarlow Wilson and the illegality of teenagers having sex with teenagers. I want to address the second issue more completely now.We legalize so much...
View ArticleVery Early Marriage
I happen to live with a city planner. Among other things, this means that my professional books (Reviving Ophelia, Reaching Up For Manhood, You Look Too Young to be a Mom) are interspersed with his...
View ArticleWhat to do About Sexy Halloween Costumes
You may have noticed over the past few years that sexy Halloween costumes are becoming more and more popular with younger and younger girls. Do a Google search for sexy Halloween costume and you get...
View ArticleTeenagers make everything more fun
Last night, we threw a huge Halloween party. This was for the kids - the average kiddo age was around 6 or 7, and there were close to 65 of them here. There was a potluck, bobbing for apples, a witch...
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Guide To Getting It On
The fifth edition of Guide To Getting It On by Paul Joannides recently came out. Now, I haven't seen previous versions of the Guide, so I can't speak to them, but this one is almost perfect. It is...
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Free cell phones for students?
New York City is apparently considering giving free cell phones to all students. And then rewarding them with free minutes for high grades/test scores/etc. The ban on cell phones in the schools would...
View ArticleTeenagers and sleep patterns
Teen brain development and patterns are such that many teenagers just aren't able to fall asleep before 11pm or midnight. This all comes down to brain chemistry and when those chemicals are released...
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