High school students looking forward to their senior year cannot easily get excited about more school work after that. Yet for those considering college, the choices after high school require attention now. As associate dean for undergraduates at the University of Maryland, I met many students who at first resisted this idea of visiting colleges saying, “I don’t even know what I want to do.” But your student shouldn’t put off college visits because no … Read more…

Excerpt from: Raising Good Kids in Tough Times Kids starting middle school next month take a big lonely step out on their own. With the challenge of new friends, values, and temptations, it may be the biggest culture shock of their lives. Yet parent involvement both at school and at home seems to taper off in middle school – just when it’s needed most. Most of the tragic stories of kids gone wrong at this … Read more…

Amy used her new cell phone to call home every week when she started college. Her Mom would respond, “Oh, Amy, I hope you are well. We miss you so much. Little Pam keeps saying, ‘When is Amy coming home?’” Amy endured the weekly tugs on the guilt strings for six weeks, then she came to my office to do the paper work to drop out. Her short college career was partly due to Mom’s … Read more…

Raising Good Kids in Tough Times By Dr. Roger McIntire We parents know sex is a big problem among our teenagers but too many of us hesitate to provide much information. We are afraid of what the kids will do if we tell them too much, but we all suffer the consequences of their ignorance. The percentage of women 15 to 20 who are sexually active is about the same across our country and in … Read more…

Raising Good Kids in Tough Times By Dr. Roger McIntire When it comes to those dangerous behaviors, drugs often produce the most tragic stories, but in number of abusers, alcohol wins. Alcohol abusers are defined as persons whose drinking habits produce poor work, excessive absenteeism from work or school, and complaints from friends and family. One quarter of our teens are alcohol abusers by the time they reach college age. And alcohol-related accidents remain one … Read more…