Parents and teen drug use; there is help

Finding out that a teen is using drugs is one of the worst moments in the life of any parent. When teenage drug use comes home parents often feel lost and confused. They wonder where they went wrong or what they could possibly have done differently.

Drug problems exist in virtually every town and in every community. We have often run across drug problems in our work with at risk youth. Some parents found out about their child’s drug use after their child failed a drug test during pre-employment screening or court ordered test.

No parent wants to get this kind of news.  They often feel isolated and ashamed. What they don’t realize is that their teens often feel the same way. Of the youth that we work with no one has talked about enjoying drugs. The kids seem to use it as a way to fit in or as a way to escape.

A teen treatment program can help by getting at the root cause of the addiction. Many programs provide some support parents as well as the child. This helps the entire family become whole again.

If you even suspect that your youth is using drugs it’s time to get help. With teenager addiction help your child can be drug free and that’s news every parent can use. 

~~Many thanks to Newport Academy for sponsoring the work we do.~~

Where to read reviews of Tutorvista

Things change fast in classrooms these days. It’s not uncommon for kids to need homework help that parents aren’t able to give. Reasons range from everything to running short on time to not understanding the material ourselves.

Fortunately for us parents, there are online sources that can help. Parents who are looking for tutoring for their student can find a wide number of online sites that promise to help. If you are looking, have you seen the reviews for tutorvista yet?

Independent reviews give us the best picture of how a company might be to work with. It always pays to research anything that has to do with your child. Reviews for tutorvista along with any other program that you are considering can reassure you about the company you will be working with.

When researching online tutoring opportunities you will want to pay attention to certain things. When looking at Reviews for tutorvista or any other company it’s important to consider what’s said about the subject your child is having problems with.

A Tutorvista Review should give you detailed information about the company and the subjects that are offered. It should also tell you how much the program costs and what ages are served. In short, a Tutorvista Review can give you all the details you need to make the best decision for your child no matter what  grade your student is in at school.

~ Many thanks to Tutorvista for sponsoring this blog.~~ 

Parenting tips made easy

Many thanks to Lyn Lomasi for participating in our Blogathon!

Parenting any child is tough. The challenge can be made even harder after any kind of abuse, domestic violence or sexual violence.

Communicating successfully with your child is a key building block to establishing a good parenting relationship. This is a pretty tall order under the best of circumstances. Building a relationship can begin at any stage although it may take extra effort when working with older children or teenagers.

One of our Hope for Healing.Org Blogathon 2010 participants writes for Parent Successfully. The blog is full of tips that may be useful for any parent. You'll find information on every stage of development from pregnancy to teenagers. It's definitely worth a look.

Lyn Lomasi also writes for the following blogs. No doubt you will want to take a look at these too.

• http://www.articlewriterforhire.com/
• http://www.parentsuccessfully.com/
• http://www.naturallygreennews.com/
• http://www.povertyandhomelessness.com/

A Broken Smile

The little boy that came in with his new foster mom was about 4. He arrived at his new home with baggage that you can't put in a suitcase and without clothes. So, she visited us.

He's an adorable little boy but we noticed right away that he didn't smile. He played quietly and didn't talk. There was none of the rambunctious activity that you expect from a little boy this age.

Our youth director showed him a whole basket of cars and told him to pick some out to keep. He solemnly picked out a few and began playing on the floor. No noise. I gathered a few things which included a couple of handmade blankets from our friends at the Linus Project. After watching him and speaking with his foster mom I bent down and asked if he would like a blanket. I explained that it was brand new and made just for him. I also told him that it would be his own to keep for as long as he wanted.

He looked up at me and seemed interested but made no move. I asked if he liked purple or red like fire engines. He softly whispered that he liked red so I gave him that one. He sat there, on the floor holding the blanket and then put his new cars on top of it.

I told him it was nice to meet him and I hoped he would have lots of fun playing with the new cars and the blanket. Still no smile and no laughter. I asked if he was sure he liked the cars and that would could find something else if he didn't. (We would have given him the moon if he'd of said he liked that better!) He very slowly picked up a car and said that he did like them. I said that was great and that they were his very own cars to play with and keep. He seemed to like that.

Then, I asked if his smile was just broken today. He looked at me with those sad little eyes and slowly nodded his head "Yes".

I told him that it was ok to be sad sometimes and that maybe, with lots of love from people who this he's great, maybe we could fix his smile so it wouldn't be broken anymore. I asked how that sounded and if he thought that maybe someday his little smile would be fixed.

He looked up at me and slowly this four-year old shook his head "No."

He left clutching the blanket and with a new backback on his shoulders that contained all the toys and cars our youth director could fit into it, the clothes he and his new foster mom had come for and with our hearts wrapped around his finger - and his smile still broken.