For more than 30 years a movement called Positive Youth Development (PYD) has been studying relationships between teenagers and their social groups, observing what works best for teens.  As it is described, “PYD is not a theory.  It is a way of looking at things.  It is an approach that explains something that lots of teachers and parents have known intuitively.  Namely, that when you set low expectations, children will sink to them.  PYD seeks ways to raise the bar and help children succeed.”

“The advantages to this approach are that teens come to believe in themselves and their ability to be successful, instead of internalizing negative stereotypes.  They engage in activities where they can build job and life skills and gain confidence.  Working and volunteering in the community keeps them engaged with others who are doing positive things and promotes community mindedness.  Teens learn to become active participants in society on many levels, and in many roles.”

“Richard Learner, PhD, has written extensively about the ‘5 C’s’ of Positive youth Development.  They are competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring…..”

“The study also found the strongest predictor of positive adolescent functioning was eating dinner together as a family.  That’s something we all can do!”

For more information on this study:  http://ase.tufts.edu/iard/aboutPeopleLernerR.htm; “Research;”  “Positive Youth Development 4-H”

For further explanation of the “5 C’s” read the whole article:  www.seacoastonline.com

Your Relationship with Your Kids!

• Despite transformations in parent-child relationships across the transition to adolescence, parents remain influential in their children’s lives.”
  

• “Adolescents look to their friends for advice on fashion or music and they turn to their parents for guidance on moral issues.”

• Adolescents perceive parents as one of the most accurate sources of information about dating, compared to peers or romantic partners.

• Adolescents anticipate parents’ reactions before taking action.

• Parents’ communication of clear expectations regarding appropriate dating behaviors is likely to influence adolescents’ subsequent decisions.

• Most parents (64%) reported using dating rules, which varied by the adolescents and parents’ gender, for their 17-19 year olds. And more than a quarter of the families in this sample reported that establishing supervisory dating rules was a process that jointly involved parents and adolescents.