Teen Esteem Council Podcast

Yeah, we know that summer is almost over, but body image is an issue that is not going away for teen girls anytime soon. Join us as we share a few ideas on how you can improve the way you feel about your body to endd the summer.

We all have guilty pleasures. Things that we do that are not good for us. Today we discuss some reasons why we make dumb decisions, even when we know they aren't what is best for us. We talk about some of the reasons that teens may be more willing to take risks and do things that are more risky. We also talk about how delayed consequences can make it easier for teens to try things that can be dangerous.  As we discuss in the podcast, teens are not the only ones who do this. Adults have all kinds of negative habits that affect their lives in a negative way... but they keep doing them. 

Today we discuss an article called, First Time Teen Alcohol, Drug Use Peaks in Summer, that was alarming to us. It was published through WbMD Health News and can be read here.  We discuss some of the reasons that statistics for first time drug and alcohol use skyrocket during the summer. We also discuss some of the ways that you can be ready to face the peer pressure that may come as you hang out with your friends this summer.

This podcast is NOT about finding a cause and becoming a political activist. We don't discourage that, but this podcast is mostly about thinking critically about what you hear and read and forming your own opinion. We don't discuss the recent Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). THis is a lndmark decision that will have an effect on your future. There are a lot of different views about whether the Affordable Care Act will be good for America or will make the United States financial situation worse. Within the podcast we talk about the importance thinking for yourself (thoughtfully forming opinions and being able to support those opinions).  To help you get started on your research about the Affordable Care Act here are a couple of good articles that share both sides of the argument. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-07-04/news/bs-ed-reimer-healthcare-20120704_1_health-care-affordable-care-act-generational-conflict http://blog.heritage.org/2012/07/02/morning-bell-too-many-broken-p

Today we continue our discussion on having difficult conversations with parents. We share the improtance of counselors and how you can talk to your parents if you think you need to see a counselor. We also talk about how to set up the conversation so that you can get everything that you need to say out before being interrupted. We also have some advice for the parents in there too.

Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes they are minor and some times they are 'more than minor'. Sometimes teens have a really hard time talking to parents about some of the mistakes they have made or some of the things that are going on in their lives. Summer and I have both worked with parents who wish their teen would communicate more with them and we have both worked with teens to help them talk to their parents about challenging issues. Today we, along with Cara, talk about strategies for talking to parents about the hard stuff. We discuss two of the main reasons that teens have a hard time sharing things with their parents. We also give a couple of options of ways to let your parents know what is going on.

Summer vacation has started for pretty much everyone. I asked a student of mine if she was already bored of summer and she said, "Oh my gosh, yes." So part of fending off bordom is keeping in touch with your friends. Today we give you some tips on how to keep in touch with your friends and not seem like a creeper.  Have you ever felt like you were the only one who ever tried to make plans with your friends... and you wondered if you stopped calling them if they would EVER call you? Mat shares the conversation that he and his wife had about that same topic and the decision they made about it.

All of have had that experience when someone says something in the perfect way, or they recite a quote that perfectly captires how you feel in words. That is what this podcast is all about. Throughout the podcast Cantel tells the story of her quotebook, which was a final project in one of her classes. She also shares some of the most inspiring quotes that have made an impact on her this year. Listen and be inspired by timeless words (I'm talking about the quotes... not necessarily what we say about them ha).  What are your favorite quotes? Share them in a comment or leave a message on our Facebook wall.

There was an article in the Scholastic Scope that asked the question, "Is Facebook making you mean?" That led is into the discussion about whether or not teens are more mean on Facebook or other social media than they would be in real life. Summer absolves her self of the guilt that she has been feeling since commenting on this picture on Facebook... We also discuss some of positive aspects of teens and social media.

The topic of today's podcast comes from an article in the American Profile. The article looks at what has happened to girl sports since Title Nine was passed forty years ago. Many girls have had an opportunity to play sports that they may not have otherwise played. Through coaching girls basketball, I have seen what sports can do for a teen's self esteem. I've seen girls make tremendous progress physically and emotionally through working hard and being part of a team. Those benefits are not limited to sports though. There are many activities that have similar benefits. Cara is part of the volleyball team at her school. She discusses some of the benefits that she has seen from her experience. Cara and Chantel have both been involved in theater and they discuss what benefits can come from participating in that activity. They also share some tips on how to get involved in different activities if you want to.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms of our listening audience. Today Summer and I talk about the importance of letting your mom know that you care on this great holiday. We also talk about the angst that can be common in the relationship between a mother and teenage daughter. We also recognize that not all moms have been great, or even good, to their daughters. For those who are in that situation we have a few comments in this podcast that you may connect with.

This was one of the strangest recording experiences that we have had. I was in a hotel room in Denver Co. Summer was driving with her kids... but the content of the podcast is tremendous. I have been at the Expeditionary Learning National Conference this week. One of the topics of conversation that was consitent was about teaching students to be citizen scholars. What is a citizen scholar? This podcast may not have a 'for sure' answer to that question, but we discuss something that I think can make the biggest difference for you, your family, AND your community.

Is it possible for teens to eat healthy with how busy they are and all of the pressures that they are facing today? TodaySummer talks about an article about teens and dieting that she really disliked. She had high hopes that it would be something that would inspire teens. However there were some things in the article that disappointed her... and that led us to a conversation around the eating habits of teens. Listen in as the council discusses how they do their best to eat healthy even though they are incredibly busy.

Today we have a guest on the show. She shares some of the challenges that she has had with some of her friends at a young age. Peer pressure, pathological lies, and relational agression. Our guest shares her some of her experiences and our council shares theirs. Navigating the waters of friendship as a teen can be difficult. Hopefully their experiences and how they have grown from them can help you as you work on the relationships with your friends.

Last week we read an email from one of our listners who had a question about what to do because her friend always has a boyfriend. We were able to have the entire council today to respond to her question. There is a wealth of experience from both sides of this scenario in today's discussion. Remember to like our Facebook Page and to leave comments on itunes, or wherever you download our podcast...

Today's discussion centers around a pamphlet that I read earlier in the week. I had the priviledge to escort a few students to a play at a local community college. As I was walking through the hall I passed the schools Health and Wellness Center. I picked up a few pamphlets to read while we were waiting for the play to start. Getting What You Want From Your Body Image was one of the pamphlets that I picked up and read with a few students. We had a fascinating discussion that day and I thought this would make a great topic for our podcast. If you are interested in ordering pamphlets you can go to www.etr.org. This specific pamphlet can be ordered here.

The idea for today's podcast came when Amanda stood us up for a recording session. She was going ice fishing with her grandpa. We thought that was a very appropriate reason to miss recording. The trade off was that she was obliged to share any advice that her grandpa shared with her. It took us a little while to catch up with her, but we did, and the result is a fantastic discussion about advice that we have all received from grandpa.

We recently received an email form a lister who requested a podcast on how someone might start trusting others even though it is difficult for them. Today Summer and I discuss some ideas that begin to answer that question. Some of the ideas that we talk about are learning to trust yourself, starting small, keeping track of trustbuilding experiences, and more. Thanks to our listener for emailing. If one of our listeners is struggling with trusting others, there are probably more. We appreciate the chance to share what we have seen work for others with you.

Happy St. Patrick's Day. Hopefully the Luck of the Irish will give you good fortune today. But how can you make your own luck? In today's podcast Mat, Summer, and Chantel talk about how to be able to take advantage of the 'lucky' opportunities that come your way. 

Does flattery help someone really build self esteem? Chantel begins our conversation about this topic with a quote from Randy Pausch. Then we discuss how to make sure that your compliments really build people up, rather than flatter them.