Is Texting Friends Socially Delaying Our Kids?

Is texting friends a good thing? Does texting and other technology have a downside? I think that everyone would agree that there are concerns about sexting and cyber bullying. However, many parents feel that these issues don’t apply to their kids; after all, they are just texting friends! But I have become concerned about another issue regarding all this technology…the subtle changes in friendships... 

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Teenage Sexting: A Language All Its Own

 Following my blog on Teenage Sexting, I have had numerous requests from parents for acronyms to BOLO—Be On the Lookout. Your teens and tweens have a new language all their own, in the form of symbols and abbreviations that they are constantly texting to one another. As a parent, it’s important for you to become savvy to the kinds of messages that may be a cause for alarm. After searching... 

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Help! My son’s becoming an Internet Kid!

Internet kid is the term I give to any child who is turning to the Internet more and more for social interaction, information and entertainment.  That sums up many of the kids of today.  But what to do when this reliance on the Internet becomes a substitution for parenting?  Here’s one mom’s dilemma and my advice about her Internet kid: Dear Dr. Vicki:  I am a single mom of 2 boys... 

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Parents Dealing with Teenage Behavior

How much do you like playing tug of war?         Dear Dr. Vicki:      I have a 15 yr old daughter, 12 year old son and a 9 month old little girl. My oldest daughter has always been head strong and demanding, so her teenage issues seemed like “typical” stuff. My 12 year old son who was always the laid-back/ helpful, wants to please son is now morphing into a child who is disrespectful,... 

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