5 mins read

Spring, Teens, and the Trouble with Music Festivals

Spring is here…and parents beware. There’s trouble lurking when kids get too old for the Easter Bunny. When you have older teenagers, warmer weather means the annual spring music festivals are coming. And there’s not much that’s innocent about these merry music events. Music festivals have not changed much since Woodstock, the famous “3 Days…

3 mins read

The Effects of Media Violence on Teenagers

Violent images sometimes seem to be everywhere–in movies, on television and in video games. Some types of popular music feature lyrics that depict or glorify violent situations. Exposure to violence, whether it is real or simulated, can have a negative effect on teenagers. Over the years, numerous studies, such as one done by psychologists at Iowa State University in 2003, have shown a connection between teenagers being exposed to violent media and displaying violent behavior themselves.

2 mins read

Spanish Boy Baby Names

Naming your baby boy is one of the first important decisions you make as a parent. Tradition is a strong factor in naming first-born boys after their father. Spanish names share some equivalents in English, so satisfying different cultural preferences is possible. Demographic changes in the United States resulted in Spanish names climbing up the ranks of most popular baby-boy names in recent years.

4 mins read

Involvement in Extracurricular Activities

According to a study by the National Center for Education Statistics, students who take part in extracurricular activities are three times as likely to make higher grades in math and reading than kids who don’t. In addition to academic benefits, students also get an opportunity to experience teamwork, learn new skills and make friends through after-school activities. From middle school through college, opportunities for student participation in extracurricular activities vary widely to accommodate student interests.