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When the students of the Mildred C. Hailey Youth Community Leadership Institute at Martha Eliot Health Center learned they were going to be painting a mural, they were initially intimidated.
“Some were thinking ‘I can’t draw!’ or ‘I don’t know if I can do this,” says Alysha Noel, community resource coordinator at Martha Eliot and co-facilitator of the institute, along with Samantha Montaño from the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC). But, after working with a local artist to brainstorm ideas and practice, the youth quickly gained confidence. “After drawing their section on the wall, they were like ‘OK, I’m ready to draw something else now,’” says Noel with a laugh. “It was great to see them take initiative and control over the project.” …
Teens and discipline: Too old for time-out
When we think of discipline, we tend to think of young children. We tend to think about tantrums, about teaching them to be polite and tell the truth and not fight with their siblings and other children. We don’t think as much about teens.
But teens need discipline too, just as much. In some ways, they need it more: not only do they need to learn how to behave responsibly as adults, but the stakes are higher. It’s one thing when you fall off a jungle gym, and quite another when you drink and drive.
The kind of discipline teens need is similar to the discipline you’ve (hopefully) used since they were small, but needs to take into account that they are on the cusp of independence. Here are four tips for disciplining teens:
Weight-loss surgery for teens and young adults: A good option?
Bariatric surgery, commonly known as weight-loss surgery, can be a safe and effective treatment for a teen or young adult whose obesity has persisted despite all medical efforts, and who has complications of obesity. Dr. Camilla Richmond, medical director of the Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program at Boston Children’s Hospital, answers common questions about weight-loss surgery at Boston Children’s. …
Ask the Mediatrician: Is it OK for kids to play Fortnite?
Can you please offer guidance on Fortnite? It seems to be all that kids 11 to 14 are doing these days. I do not allow my children to play, but saw my godson play and was horrified — the guns all look real, but the deaths show no blood. As a person who grew up in a hunting family and with firearms, I find the game to be irresponsible and addictive, but was surprised by the seemingly positive review of the game from Common Sense Media. Please advise!
~ Flustered over Fortnite, Milwaukee, WI