Welcome, Parents!!!
Thank you for visiting the digital home of Immaculate Heart of Mary Youth Ministry Parents. This webpage is designed to assist you in your very important role of raising a Catholic teenager... or teenagers.
Growing Up While You Parent
Brag About Your Teen! Yes, it's OK!
Teenagers thrive in a community where their gifts and accomplishments are acknowledged and recognized. They need to know that they are valued, contributing members of a vibrant community that cares for them. We are publishing in the church bulletin short articles about the accomplishments of IHM high school students.
Parents or Grandparents may submit teen accomplishments for IHM Youth Ministry recognition directly to Leslie Kimble at [email protected]. Accomplishments may be submitted in the forms of certificates of recognition, newspaper articles, school recognition, club/organization recognition, service organization recognition, etc. Please provide a digital photo of your teen.
Parents or Grandparents may submit teen accomplishments for IHM Youth Ministry recognition directly to Leslie Kimble at [email protected]. Accomplishments may be submitted in the forms of certificates of recognition, newspaper articles, school recognition, club/organization recognition, service organization recognition, etc. Please provide a digital photo of your teen.
5 to 1 Button Campaign to Make IHM Teen Friendly
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Article, Blogs, and More!
A Dad and Young-Adult Daughter Argue & Make Up
When people argue about things, there are usually a number of unspoken issues and emotions that are hidden beneath the surface. The argument is usually just the tip of the iceberg. These hidden things often add unexpected intensity to the disagreement. It's wise to ask yourself, "What is going on here that I'm not aware of both in myself and in the person I'm addressing?"
CLICK HERE to read more and watch a video showing the dad and daughter talking about what happened and what REALLY happened.
CLICK HERE to read more and watch a video showing the dad and daughter talking about what happened and what REALLY happened.
Do I Have to Yell to Get Results from my Kid?
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"I feel like a raging lunatic!" How many times have you heard an exasperated parent say that? How many times have you said it? Waves of temporary insanity seem to be par for the course for many parents. We whine, yell, stomp our feet, throw things, kick things and perform any other number of colorful behaviors that we hope are not being shared on Twitter. Here's a blog that addresses yelling, what it accomplishes and what it does to a parent/kid relationship. CLICK HERE for more...
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Talk Early & Often about Dating
Dating is a rite of passage for young people that needs the wise guidance of adults, especially parents. It is not safe to allow teens to figure out this part of life on their own. Dating abuse is a real danger for a large percentage of teens. Here are some facts to consider:
Take the time to teach your teens the characteristics of a healthy dating relationship. CLICK HERE for some guidelines that you can share with your teen.
CLICK HERE for a bonus article on guiding your teen through dating relationships.
- One out of every four high school girls has been the victim of physical or sexual abuse.
- Middle school, high school and college-age females are more likely than any other age group to experience date rape.
- While the majority of dating abuse victims are female, it happens to males too.
Take the time to teach your teens the characteristics of a healthy dating relationship. CLICK HERE for some guidelines that you can share with your teen.
CLICK HERE for a bonus article on guiding your teen through dating relationships.
The document below is a helpful list of warning signs of abuse. Share this with your teen.
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Early Teen Dating... Not Wise.
CLICK HERE to read about how to help your younger teens stay out of violent dating relationships.
CLICK HERE to read about how to help your younger teens stay out of violent dating relationships.
Tweet Smart: Colleges Monitoring Social Media of High School Seniors
Some admissions officers at colleges across the country are taking a look at the Facebook and Twitter posts of prospective high school seniors. If they don't like what they see, it could hurt the student's chances of being accepted to college. Parents can help by monitoring what they see on their teens' social media pages and encouraging them to post positive messages. It helps if we remind teens that when they post something online, it is as if they are speaking through a microphone to a crowd that may include family, friends, enemies, teachers, bosses, prospective employers, college admissions officers, and more. Regularly reminding them of the public nature of the internet could help them learn to think twice before hitting the post button. Read more...
Pornography: "I Caught My Teen!"
"I walked in on my son viewing porn on the computer." This is a common experience in households today. Now what do you do? Should you pretend you didn't see it? Should you ban your child from computer use? Should you throw out the computer? How can you begin to address this in a way that will help? Here's some real-life advice. Read more...
Technology Changes Parenting
Learn how a mom decided to use her son's acquisition of an iPhone to nurture him toward responsible use of the gadget. Technology is great and can add significant benefits to our lives, but kids can get into trouble with these devices. Parents need to develop ways to stay in touch with how their kids are using technology. Our kids aren't born knowing how to navigate the digital world. It's our job to teach them. Read more...
My Kid's Friends Concern Me
While it is important to teach our children to love everyone, we also have to teach them to choose their closest friends wisely. There is no doubt that friends influence our children in both positive and negative ways, but parents need to remember that nobody has a more powerful influence on their kids than they do. Parents can help nurture positive friendships in many ways. Read more...
Single Parenting
Single parenting carries with it particular challenges and rewards. IHM is happy to welcome and support single parents. When everything falls on you, it's easy to forget that assistance is available.
CLICK HERE for a library of insightful and practical articles about the unique needs of single parents.
CLICK HERE for a library of insightful and practical articles about the unique needs of single parents.
Parenting Resources
Search Institute Resources for Parents
Raising teenagers can be a huge challenge, but it also contains the promise of great joy and satisfaction. Get to the good stuff by tapping into the wisdom of great parenting at the Search Institute's teen parenting pages.
CLICK HERE for middle school information and practical advice.
CLICK HERE for high school information and practical advice.
CLICK HERE for middle school information and practical advice.
CLICK HERE for high school information and practical advice.
Getting Your Finger on the Pulse of Teen Culture
Teen culture changes rapidly. How can you keep track of what is trending in the life of your child? This website is loaded and up to date with information about music, movies, television, radio, internet and more... the stuff that kids are paying attention to. You need to know this. The site also includes suggestions about how to integrate what's trending in teen culture into your parenting style. CLICK HERE and browse around!
Faith at Home
Vibrant Faith @ Home is a free website service from Vibrant Faith Ministries. The resources are really helpful for parents who want to raise faith-filled children and teens. CLICK HERE to give it a look!