Welcome to the Archives!
This is where we store questions sent in by parents, along with Jean's answers. For teen questions, go to Teen Archives.

There are two ways to find archived Q&As. You can use the search function, at left, or the topic menu with links to Q&A's on specific topics.

(For informed response on questions about effects of specific drugs, use this link:  drugs.)  

NB: If you need immediate advice or mental health assistance, consult a mental health professional in your community or go the Emergency Room mof your nearest hospital if you are suicidal/homicidal. Use our Directory of Clinicians to assisst you in finding a therapist near you. Needs for immediate advice/help are not well met through e-mail. (See also our Counseling page.)

• 3 AM curfew?
• 6th grade woes
• 6th grader sliding backwards
• 11
• 11, nearly 12
• 11 worried about sex
• 11 y.o. a problem
• 12
• 12 and disrespectful
• 12 and miserable
• 12 and porn
• 12 drives parent to distraction
• 12 forgetful
• 12 going on 18
• 12 is worrisome
• 12 is worrisome2
• 12 lying
• 12 with attitude
• 13 & angry
• 13 & moody
• 13 gay?
• 13, mom, and dad
• 13 separating, retreating?
• 13's stepdad has problem w/13's respect
• 13's stepmom
• 13 striking out
• 14 annoying
• 14's grades
• 14's grades - 2
• 14 rebels
• 14 sexually active
• 14's social activities
• 14 spends all his time with girlfriend
• 14 stormy
• 14 struggles with identity
• 15 a handful
• 15's eating patterns
• 15 is fine--for now
• 15 year old daughter
• 16 and useless
• 16 never home
• 16 testing
• 16 withdrawing
• 17
• 17, expectations of
• 17 floundering or rebelling?
• 17 testing parents
• 17 too emotional
• 18 and passive
• 19 at home, out of control
• absent father
• academic performance (see also "grades" and "school failure," below)
• academic performance2
• adhd and 12 years old
• adhd and lying
• advice: why won't they take it?
• age when they can be left alone
• alcohol and a daughter's distress
• alcohol on New Year's Eve
• alcohol--provide it?
• alcohol--provide it?-2
• allowance (see also "money management," below)
• almost 18 in Paris
• am I bad?
• anger--when to worry
• angry 13
• annoying habits
• appearance/dress
• appearance/dress2
• appearance/dress3
• arguing with 13 yo
• attention deficit disorder?
• attitude (see also the article on the 'Top 3' parenting issues with adolescents")
• attraction to daughter
• at war with 16-year-old
• atypical interests
• autonomy
• bad choices (includes link to visitor comment)
• banishing best friend
• bedtime at 15
• betraying trust vs.preventing harm (see also, "invading privacy," below)
• biological dad, choosing
• biological dad gets defended
• birthday party venue
• blended families
• body worries
• boyfriend affecting grades?
• boyfriend power
• boyfriends (includes link to visitor comment to this question)
• boyfriends, meet in advance?
• boys and 16-y-o girl
• breaking up with first love
• broken-hearted teens
• bullying in our schools (includes link to visitor comment)
• caught making love
• caught teen in sexual activity
• cellphone limits
• cheating
• child support dispute
• chores
• classroom antics
• clothes and music
• clothing allowance?
• college applications
• communication
• communication2
• computer use excessive?
• computer use2
• computer wars
• consequences
• consequences2
• consequences for breaking window
• consequences for first-time occurrence
• consequences that blindside kid
• control: who has it?
• curfew
• curfew2
• curfew at 18?
• custodial parent woes
• custody
• custody2
• custody3
• dad and stepdaughter
• dad and 13-y-o daughter
• dating older boy
• dating rules?
• daughter/mother communication
• death of parent
• dependent daughter
• depressed son?
• depressing poetry
• desperate girls
• discovering sexual activity
• discovering sexual activity2
• disorganization
• disorganization2
• disrespectful at 12
• disrespectful at 13
• disrespectful at 14
• divorce makes kids angry
• drinking (includes response by another parent)
• drinking--train them how to?
• drinking & driving
• drug-abusing father
• drug-taking older teen
• drug testing
• drugs (see also "Buzzed")
• earpiercing
• eating at 15
• eighteen & home
• eighteen & home2
• eighteen & sexually active
• eighteen & unmanageable
• eighteen, home, passive
• eighteen independent?
• eleven is troubled
• embattled single mom
• emotional disturbance or autonomy struggle?
• "ex" is confusing their son
• experimenting with marijuana
• family relationships
• family relationships2
• father-daughter attraction
• fatherless 15
• father worries about 14's social life
• first love
• forbidden peers
• forgetful 12
• foster child
• freedom vs. safety at 16
• freshman woes
• friends' houses
• future behavior: can we protect them from themselves?
• gangster rap
• gay daughter?
• gay father's query
• gay son
• genitals--are they normal size?
• getting his/her own way: bad for teens?
• girlfriend problem
• girlfriend 2
• girlfriend 3
• girlfriends and depression
• girls--why are they desperate re boys?
• giving in
• giving permission
• good-night kisses "out"
• grades (see also "academic performance," above)
• grades2
• grades3
• grades4
• grades5
• grades6
• griping about restrictions
• ground 10-y-o?
• guns and school
• harsh words
• hateful at 14
• headstrong at 16
• her own way: don't let her have it?
• how to help 16 behave w/boys
• home alone
• home alone2
• hot-tempered 13
• hugs and kisses out
• identity, looking for
• Indian (Asian) parent
• interests of teen
• internet pornography [with site visitor comment]
• internet use by 15 yo
• invading privacy
• Iraq war
• job creates problems
• joining the military
• junior-high
• laundry
• leaving home
• leaving them alone
• letting go
• letting go2
• letting go3
• letting go4
• letting go-when they go to college
• lies and disobedience (see also the article "On Lying")
• lies: a special case
• lights on when girlfriend over?
• limits
• limits at 15
• limits: reconsidering
• limits: single mom
• Littleton
• Littleton2
• living with non-custodial parent
• living with the other parent2
• love at an early age
• lying
• lying
• lying2
• lying and sneaking
• lying: try to prevent by giving consent?
• manipulation
• marijuana and trust
• marijuana: experimentation
• masturbation
• masturbation at 16
• 'memory' problems at 13
• messy room
• messy room2
• middle school problems
• middle school problems
• military instead of college?
• misery and being 12
• money management
• money management2
• money3--who pays for what?
• moral dilemma
• motivating 11-year-old
• nearly 12
• needs, conflicting parent and teen
• new school
• new school2
• new school3
• non-custodial parent's attraction for teens
• non-custodial parent influence
• older adolescent's sexuality
• overnight at parents' house
• overweight
• paradoxical reactions
• parental privacy
• parental sex overheard
• "parents must be home"
• part-time job
• peer pressure
• peer pressure2
• peer relations (see also, "unacceptable peer behaviors," below, and "forbidden peers," above)
• peer relations2
• peer relations3
• peer relations4
• peer relations5
• permission-giving
• permission-giving2
• permission question for 16
• permission question for another 16
• physical affection with pre-teen
• phone privileges
• piercing (includes link to site visitor comment)
• piercing2
• poetry worries parent
• pornography
• pornography2 [Includes link to site visitor response to Jean on this topic]
• pornography3
• pornography4 [NB: This Q&A contains links to 2 responses
  from site visitors protesting Jean's stance]
• pot: see marijuana
• power struggles
• power struggles2
• power struggles3
• prefers adults
• pre-teen angst
• preteen direction
• preteen woe
• privacy
• privacy2
• privacy3
• privacy, parents'
• prodigal son
• protect or not protect?
• provide alcohol?
• rearing a relative's child
• rebellion at 12
• rebellion at 14
• religious identity
• respect (see also the article on the 'Top 3' parenting issues with adolescents")
• respect2
• retrench?
• rooms
• rooms2
• rooms3
• rooms4
• runaway threat
• same-sex affection
• satanic bible
• school failure
• self-esteem (also, try Searching on this topic)
• self-esteem 2
• setting limits--single mom
• sex at 13
• sex at 14
• sexual activity of daughters
• sexual attraction to stepdaughter
• sexual behavior at late adolescence
• sexual preference
• sexual thoughts: make 11-y-o think he's bad
• shaving legs
• sibling relations
• sibling relations2
• sibling relations3
• sibling relations--special circumstance
• sick of drinking (includes link to visitor comment)
• single mom
• single mom--setting limits
• single mother (also, try Searching on this topic)
• singlemother-teenage son
• sleeping together at parents' house
• sleeping with mom
• smoking
• sneaking and lying
• spanking instead of grounding?
• spoiling teens
• spying
• staying home alone
• stealing
• stepfamily troubles
• stepmother's complaints
• stormy 14
• suicide
• summer bedtime
• swearing
• taking back harsh words
• taking blame to maintain peer relationship
• teen sex at parents' house
• teen with temper
• terrorist attacks/talking to children (see also war--talking to kids)
• too old at 11
• tracking teens
• transient family
• twelve
• unacceptable peer behaviors
• understanding adolescents
• unwelcome info
• war--talking to kids
• warring with 16-year-old
• weird clothes, music
• who pays for what?--money boundaries
• witch as my daughter's identity
• withdrawal
• working parttime: does it work?
• young love
• younger sib

Disclaimer: Ms. Martin's and Ms. Walbridge's responses to questions are intended to be educational and informative. They are not a substitute for face-to-face psychotherapy or consultation with a mental health professional.   



















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