Parenting Teens

I am determined that this week’s Monday will be MUCH better than last weeks. Despite the fact that it’s 3:30am, and I’m here, awake, still, waiting for my son to come home from his vacation with his BFF in Seattle. He called shortly before midnight to let me know they had just gotten off the flight in Anchorage and would be driving the rest of the way. I’m not sure if he’s going just to the BFFs house, or actually coming all the way home, and am waiting for either him, or a text message, letting me know for sure.

And, ya know, I missed my baby boy! But don’t tell him that - it’d embarrass him. On second thought, tell him, and use that “awwwwwww!” voice too!

Anyway, while I was waiting, I thought I’d let you know about the upcoming event at The League. Holly first told us about The League before their previous event in September, when they and their ONE DAY servathon, and now their gearing up for their next great opportunity, The DRIVE - the largest student-run food and clothing drive.

During The DRIVE, the students wil identify the need, then be instrumental in creating and implementing a plan to address the issues as related to poverty, hunger and homelessness in their own community. Together, they can organize a collection of items needed by the organization of their choice, items like food, clothing, toys, whatever is needed to help the families in their area cope with the upcoming winter days and holidays. It’s a great way to get your teens involved in helping others, and having some fun too!

If you’d like to support The LEAGUE for this event, The DRIVE starts on November 5th, and runs through November 26th. You can get more information at The LEAGUE website, as well as information on other events as well. As someone who has been one of those in need of a little help now and again, I strive to give back every time I can - and The LEAGUE is a great way for our kids, across the Nation, to band together and help others in the same situation! So check it out today, and tell Holly I sent ya!

This past week I received a couple of emails that let me know about a couple opportunities for our Teens. It’s important to help them get involved in the community, to be aware of those around them in a way they haven’t been before. Sure, we can’t FORCE them to do anything, but we can at least nudge them in the right direction from time to time. Here’s a couple of sites to check out:

Holly contacted me about The League, which encourages parents and teens to spend time together by giving back. According to Holly, The LEAGUE is a school and web-based system that provides the tools and resources to teach students about giving, service and civic engagement. Right now, The League is gearing up for their One Day serve-a-thon to kick off this year’s events.

Holly explains: “The LEAGUE’s ONE DAY Event is a “servathon” where students identify, organize and plan a service project that meets a need in their community, and sign up friends and family to sponsor them (if they choose) in advance. Students can create their very own service project such as visiting seniors, tutoring peers, or cleaning up neighborhoods.” The One Day event runs September 17th thru October 8th.

Check out their website, The League Worldwide, for more information.

Next up, Matt sent me a cute little note, assuring me that I won’t be as nervous about this driving thing in as little as 3 or 4 years. Thanks for the encouragement, there, Matt! He also wanted to let us know about the new public awareness campaign about teenage steroid use from the AD Council. This campaign is called “Don’t be an Asterisk” - as those known to have used steroids on competition lists are marked with - you guess it - an asterisk.

Matt explained: “Whether it is a potential college scholarship or just helping the team win, some feel pressure to do whatever it takes to get an “edge”, even if it means taking steroids or other illegal substances.

The PSA is below, and I encourage you to check out the website, Don’t be an Asterisk, for more information.

Thanks Holly and Matt for letting me know about your projects and causes! I’m glad to help get the word out. If anyone else has a program they want me to check out, please use the contact me button over there under the ‘about site’ link on the right. Thanks!

One of the front page stories in today’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution is very relevant to this blog. It tells the story of what one family went through to get their teenage son into an intervention program, and how this program changed the entire family.

At age 16, Bubba Brocard, of Cobb County, Georgia, had become a menace. He punched holes in walls during outbursts of rage. He got drunk and belligerent one day, high and aloof the next.

“He was totally out of control,” John Brocard said. “He was using marijuana, was drinking alcohol, lying, stealing and manipulating us. He would verbally abuse me and cuss at me in front of my wife and challenge me to fight.

“His constant outbursts of anger and rage scared his older sister and younger brother to the point they were afraid to be around him. His mood affected our whole household and our marriage.”

Bubba’s parents, John and Fair Brocard, were so desperate to save him, and their family, that they arranged for Bubba to be kidnapped in the middle of the night at their home, and taken to an intervention program. The program is named in the article, so if you’re interested in it, please go to the link above. The purpose of this post isn’t to support or point out any one program, but to have you read the story of the Brocards.

It’s a remarkable story that led to the complete turnaround-not only of the Brocard’s son, who is now 25 years old, graduated from high school and college, and has a good job-but of his parents, who now run their own non-profit organization to help other families with troubled teens.

Read the article. You’ll get a lift, as well as, possibly, some inspiration, if you’re in a situation like the Brocards’. If any of you readers have serious problems with teens, please let me know about it. I can point you in the direction of some specific programs, if you’d like.

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Today, I’d like to use Parenting Teens to spread the word about a wonderful program called YouthBuild, USA. The following information about their programs is taken directly from their website:

In YouthBuild programs, low-income young people ages 16–24 work toward their GED or high school diploma while learning job skills by building affordable housing for homeless and low-income people. Strong emphasis is placed on leadership development and community service.

All YouthBuild students are poor and many have had experience with foster care, juvenile justice, welfare, and homelessness. Participants spend 6 to 24 months in the full-time program, dividing their time between the construction site and the YouthBuild alternative school. Community- and faith-based nonprofit organizations sponsor most programs, although some are sponsored by public agencies. Each YouthBuild program raises private and public funds to support itself. Primary support comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through a dedicated federal line item.

Because a comprehensive approach is called for, the YouthBuild program has gradually and inevitably become a number of things at once:

An alternative school, in which young people attend a YouthBuild school full-time on alternate weeks, studying for their GEDs or high school diplomas. Classes are small, allowing one-on-one attention to students.

A community service program, in which young people build housing for homeless and other low-income people, providing a valuable and visible commodity for their hard-pressed communities.

A job training and pre-apprenticeship program, in which young people get close supervision and training in construction skills full-time on alternate weeks from qualified instructors.

A leadership development and civic engagement program, in which young people share in the governance of their own program through an elected policy committee and participate actively in community aff airs, learning the values and the life-long commitment needed to be eff ective and ethical community leaders.

A youth development program, in which young people participate in personal counseling, peer support groups, and life planning processes that assist them in healing from past hurts, overcoming negative habits and attitudes, and pursuing achievable goals that will establish a productive life.

A long-term mini-community, in which young people make new friends committed to a positive lifestyle, pursue cultural and recreational activities together, and can continue to participate for years through the YouthBuild Alumni Association.

A community development program, in which community-based organizations obtain the resources to tackle several key community issues at once, strengthening their capacity to build and manage housing for their residents, educate and inspire their youth, prevent crime, create leadership for the future, and generally take responsibility for their neighborhoods.

YouthBuild USA was founded as the Youth Action Program in East Harlem in 1978 by Dorothy Stoneman (now president). In 1984, it became citywide in New York and, in 1990, became nationwide as YouthBuild USA. Since those beginnings, the program has had many successes and has become a valuable source of lifebuilding skills for many teens, as well as providing helpful resources for low-income families. Success stories of some of the program participants can be found on the page titled Stories of Transformation.

Check out this site to see all the wonderful things they’re doing, and to find out if there is a chapter near you. This can be a wonderful resource for teens in general and, especially, for teens experiencing problems.

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