Dr. Troxel is the mother of a teen who she claims needs extraordinary measures to awaken for the early start times of their school district. And it’s not due to Snapchat, social life or hormones she says; but rather: public school policy!
School Start Times
When is too early and why it matters
Wendy Troxel is not only a mother of a teen but is a fairly renowned sleep researcher and explains that “teens don’t get enough sleep” and that “early school district start times deprive adolescents of sleep during the time of their lives when they need it most.”
Being a Senior Behavioral and Social Scientist at RAND and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh she should know. Much of her research is funded by the National Heart-Lung institute, the NIH and the DOD and focuses on the interface between sleep, social environment and health as well as its implications for public policy.
The bottom line: “school start-times for teens should not be before 8:30 AM.” What time does your teen need to report to school?
“Discipline,” that’s a 200-pound-gorilla-in-the-room topic if I ever heard one!
These days the so-called “do-gooders,” “haters” and “conspiracy theorists” all over the internet have made poor parents fear even the word “discipline”… let alone actually giving it to their child. But “discipline” is different than “punishment” you know.
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It seems that talking about puberty and sex is one of most every doctor’s LEAST favorite tasks. I know that because some research projects have studied the subject in patients of all ages with diseases of all types and by doctors of all specialties.
Well, it shouldn’t really surprise any of you because it’s your least favorite talk with your kids too (assuming you’re a parent)—and they’re YOUR kids.
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[This site is one of those “blogspot” sites which is still there (including my referenced page) but is no longer actively added too – which thing makes me sorry for you… Alas, her last post was in 2019… You really should have seen it in its day!]
How does a non-confrontational parent discipline her boys? Click on the link above or below to give it a read; and see one mother’s experience trying to raise a “tribe” of four boys—especially as they turn into teenagers.
[http://tovskytwins.blogspot.com/2009/12/disciplinarian.html]
Of all the aspects of parenting, discipline holds the most fear in the hearts of parents. Some of that may be due to a misunderstanding of the difference between discipline and punishment, some due to an unclear understanding of the role of “parent, and some due to a lack of role model.
Or, it could be any one of a million different issues (perhaps I do exaggerate just a bit.)
This short series only considers the one aspect and began when I found a post by another author entitled “discipline in a non-confrontational parent”; a schizophrenic concept if ever I heard one. I just had to read it.
4 Posts in "Discipline" Series
- Discipline Series: Intro/Index – 1 Jan 2014
Of all the parts of parenting, discipline is the single most unpleasant and difficult. This series contains posts which are strictly about discipline, it's why and how.
- Discipline in a Non-Confrontational Parent (link) – 3 Jan 2014
I found a web post about being a "non-confrontational" parent and discipline. The two concepts are so... so... oddly disparate it almost seems schizophrenic. I found the post interesting enough to recommend the read. She's stopped posting now; but, the post is still there.
- Parenting: Discipline – 7 Dec 2017
Discipline isn't easy as a parent. Teaching about it isn't easy as a doctor. And, writing about it, isn't easy as a columnist either. Every circumstance is different and every child is different; but we've learned a lot of lessons over the years about how to make it easy(er) on everyone concerned. Here are several.
- Discipline and Natural Consequences – 3 Feb 2018
A colleague of mine, Dr. Greg Barrett, has written quite a bit about discipline and I have too. We have similar philosophies but what would it look like if we should share a case together and discuss our approaches. Would we agree? Would there be things you could learn from our discussion? Let's see!
If you’d like to read about other parenting issues, I suggest you immerse yourself in the guest-post series by Dr. Greg Barrett which I’ve posted on this site rather than loose his well-spent efforts to a web-site-flipper camping on his abandoned site. AND, believe it or not, there’s some good parenting articles over on the “meditation” series.
It is becoming more clear every day that if we want to maintain even a mere semblance of a moral society, parents are going to have to step it up a bit from what we’re used to.
There’s lying, cheating and mayhem, to name but a few “habits” of more and more “gen z’s”; but, truly, if parent’s aren’t parenting their children about sex, pressure tactics and promiscuity then absolutely nobody is!
A psychology professor I had, way back in the midst’s of time, taught us that: “morality is the most economical means of living in a society.” Self-adherence to moral principles actually enable’s the literal sustainability of a society. Without it, the society eventually self-destructs.
I believe it… more and more every day.
12 Posts in "Parenting - Sex" Series
- Parenting About Sex, Pressure and Promiscuity Series: Intro/Index – 28 May 2013
Parenting your child about sex, pressure and promiscuity, not as hard or easy as you might think.
- Sexting: Risky Teen Behavior – 30 May 2013
This post is about a topic which none of us parents had to even think about while growing up but which we better now, if we know what's good for us – and our kids.
- Sexting, What Teens Should Know – 1 Jun 2013
A link to a blog post by Hayley Kaplan which exposes little known facts about sexting on their phones and computers to teens.
- Sexting, What Parents Should Know – 3 Jun 2013
A link to a follow-up blog post by Hayley Kaplan. This time giving advice for parents.
- Adolescent Gyn or Pelvic Exams – 11 Jun 2014
Recent advances in disease testing methods as well as research into contraception and infection issues has recently prompted a review and adjustment to guidelines for adolescent gyn or pelvic exams.
- Talking to Your Teen About Sex – 13 Jul 2014
Talk doesn't seem to be enough anymore. Here's a link to what the Mayo Clinic has to say about talking to your teens about sex.
- Parenting about sex and peer pressure – 27 Aug 2015
If you're not helping your teen to resist pressure about sex… then nobody is.
- Link - Am I ready for sex? – 31 Aug 2015
Your teen will probably never ask you if they're ready to have sex; but, they might read a pamphlet about it…
- Parenting: Healthy Relationships – 2 Sep 2015
The signs of healthy relationships and how to have one.
- Link - Sexual attraction and orientation – 6 Sep 2015
More than ever, every teen needs to find an adult (or near adult) confidant they can relate and talk to. This link to a printable article about sexual attraction and orientation.
- Talking To Girls About Menstruation – 23 Apr 2016
Aditi Gupta — Menstruation, Periods and Hygiene
It's true: talking about menstruation makes many people uncomfortable. And that taboo has consequences: in India, three out of every 10 girls don't even know what menstruation is at the time of their first period, and restrictive customs related to periods inflict psychological damage on young girls. Growing up with this taboo herself, Aditi Gupta knew she wanted to help girls, parents and teachers talk about periods comfortably and without shame. In this TED talk video, she shares how she did it.
- Medical Consent by Teens For Their Own Care, by state – 3 Jun 2016
The topic of when your children can give their own consent for their own medical care has been a hot topic for a couple of decades now and is still mostly left up to state law which means that it's still a jumbled and somewhat confusing issue.
(I wrote this parenting article about growing up some years ago and have had fun realizing that now it seems even more true to me than it did back then)
You know, the mind is at once an amazing and complicated thing – and growing up doesn’t help.
Thank heavens we don’t remember everything, but once in a while in your adult life you are surprised by a memory that occurred so long ago you had completely forgotten about it. Things just seem to “sneak up” on you.
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