Teens

Easy Lunchbox Makeover

The school cafeteria has become a place filled with poor diet choices. From franchise fast food offerings to soda machine temptations, today’s kids are faced with a lot of unhealthy options at lunchtime. So, what can parents do? They can pack a better lunch! But many parents could use some help — the typical child’s lunch box is often filled with fat, sugar and salt, and lacking healthy fruit, protein and whole grains.

School Nurses Call for Classroom Cleaning Protocols

School nurses say more can be done in America's classrooms to help prevent the spread of illness, especially at the height of cold and flu season when more than half of school nurses, who were recently surveyed, send five or more sick children home each day.

Ages & Stages: 11-18 years: Is Your Family's Computer a Zombie?

At Halloween, no one is surprised to find miniature zombies at the door. Give them treats and they go away. A zombie computer is not at all cute and much harder to dismiss. Yet, according to the FBI, over one billion American computers have been converted into zombies, robots that follow the commands of remote and invisible masters.

Teen Talk

What do teens say about . . . AIDS* Two decades after the federal government mandated in-school instruction on the life-threatening virus, American high schoolers responded to a survey:

IM Goes to School

plz hlp b4 i 4get how 2 rite english If you have a child who loves Instant Messaging, you can probably decipher that sentence: Please help before I forget how to write English. IMspeak, the cryptic language used in Instant Messaging, is phenomenally popular, not only with teens and pre-teens, but also with the millions of adults who now use it to communicate with friends, family and even co-workers.

Ages & Stages: 11-18: Nurture Relationships Between Teens and Grandparents

Is your child’s lackadaisical attitude toward spending the night at her grandparent’s house bewildering? At 8 years old she longed to seek refuge from her siblings at Grandma’s house. Now, as a teen, you can hardly pry her away from her friends and the phone to spend an afternoon — let alone a good portion of the holidays — visiting her grandparents.

Ages & Stages: 11-18: Angst, Drama and Your Teen

If dramatic scenes rivaling those of an Academy Award-winning performance routinely play out in your house, chances are you have a teen or tween-aged child. Sometime around age 11, children begin to realize the power that emotions play. From realizing the attention that a slammed door grabs to experiencing sympathetic pangs of angst for a forlorn friend, many children are drawn to drama.

Magnet Schools Explained

Peek around a classroom door at Northwest School of the Arts and see a young dancer perfect her steps. Drop into a classroom at the Smith Language Academy and hear kindergartners receiving classroom instructions in Chinese. Stroll by an open door at Randolph Middle School and catch the sounds of students practicing the Socratic method of inquiry.

Ages & Stages 11-18: Teen Dating Violence

For single teens, the prospect of a Valentine’s Day without someone special may seem a bit unpleasant, but as child psychologist Christie Rizzo, will testify, it’s better to be safe and single, than dating and in danger.

On Call: Your Child Could Have Arthritis

Arthritis is an illness that is often associated with older adults; however, children may also be affected. Although a diagnosis of childhood arthritis can be frightening for the child and the family, most children with arthritis live a full and active life.

Should You Encourage Your Child to Act?

So your daughter went to see "Charlotte’s Web" and decided she wants to be the next Dakota Fanning, or you’ve always thought your son is a natural performer and have wondered if enrolling him in an acting class would be a good idea.

A Healthy Summer Includes Camp!

In 2006, 33.3 percent of children in North Carolina (ages 2-20) were overweight or at-risk of becoming overweight. Sue Dissinger, director of wellness for the YMCA of Greater Charlotte calls it an epidemic of inactivity and unhealthy eating.

On Call: Scoliosis

Scoliosis is defined as a lateral (side to side) curvature of the spine. This lateral curvature is usually associated with rotation as well. Scoliosis can occur with a variety of conditions.