Last week’s family-related news coverage included a graphic novelist tackling the issue of how to talk to your child about tough topics, an eye-opening study that finds that the power of teens can be harnessed for the positive, a new app to make the high school lunchroom a little more friendly, tips on how to have a meaningful conversation with your adolescent, exposing the pervasive and serious issue of teenage food insecurity, and finally a thoughtful essay on being the best parent possible to your transgender child.
Ghosts Takes on a Tough Topic for Children NPR Staff, September 11, 2016 This NPR story contains an interview with graphic novelist, Raina Telgemeier, whose stories help adults and children have conversations about difficult topics including death and loss.
Can Teenage Defiance Be Manipulated for Good? Amanda Ripley, The New York Times, September 12, 2016 The author examines and extolls the exceptional fortitude that teenagers possess. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds that this power can be harnessed for the positive when teenagers are encouraged to reimagine healthy behavior as an act of defiance.
When Teenagers Bristle at “How Was School?” Lisa Damour, The New York Times, September 14, 2016 The author explores parents’ frustration around communicating with their teen. She finds empathy might be the best way to start the conversation and really connect.
Teen Creates App So Bullied Kids Never Have to Eat Alone NPR Staff, September 15, 2016 It isn’t easy to walk into the cafeteria not knowing where to sit. To solve this problem, a 16-year-old California high school student created an app so kids have a private way to find a seat at a friendly lunch table.
Skipping Meals, Joining Gangs: How Teens Cope With Food Insecurity Natalie Jacewicz, NPR, September 15, 2016 Assuring that adolescents get enough healthy food each day is more complicated than making sure younger children’s food needs are met. Ms. Jacewicz examines the causes and offers some solutions to the often overlooked and serious problem of teen hunger.
From He to She in First Grade Laurie Frankel, The New York Times, September 16, 2016 A parent of a transgender child strives to be the best parent possible. She tackles some important questions: “Do we love our children best by protecting them at all costs or by supporting them unconditionally? Does love mean saying, “Nothing, not even your happiness, is as important as your safety”? Or does love mean saying, “Be who you are, and I will love that person no matter what”?
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