But with the advances in technology come certain threats or issues that can plague teens. In the case of cell phones, the biggest challenge is sexting and Aurelia offers parents some tips for helping their teens to avoid this dangerous trap.

Sexting is a term that describes when teens take texting messages to their friends one step further by sending revealing – or even nude – photos of themselves to other kids. Sometimes these are sent as a way to start a relationship but other times these images can be manipulated on the computer and sent around schools as a way to ostracize or make fun of a student.

Think it’s just girls sending these photos, in hopes of landing a boyfriend? Think again! Studies show 21 percent of teen girls and 18 percent of teen boys have electronically sent, or posted online, nude or semi-nude images of themselves.

So what can parents do?

Most importantly, talk to your children.

• Discuss the dangers of having these photos online anywhere because once they are posted, they never actually disappear.
• Know your child’s friends, both online and offline.
• Talk about the consequences of sexting. Many states consider sexting a form of child pornography, which can lead to being labeled a sex offender.

If you need help talking to your teen but don’t know where to start, check out our special report, Real Life Guidance to Understanding Your Teen.

School is starting again very soon – or maybe your classes have already begun – and there is always some stress associated with going back to school, no matter what grade your teen is entering.

My guest this week is a long time PMT Friend, Marie Ynami of Mommy Community.com Marie is a work at home mom of 3 from California. This school year, her youngest is in middle school, she has a high school senior and a teen that just graduated from high school.

In this episode we discuss tips for getting our teens back into the school mindset after a summer of fun as well as:

- when to meet the teachers;
- how to keep lines of communication open about your expectations during the school year and your child’s concerns;
- setting routines & limits;
- encouraging your child to get involved in activities.

If you need even more tips for helping your teen deal with the tribulations of high school, take a look at my ebook, Real Life Guidance to Helping Your Teen In High School. This guide shows you how you can allow your teen to have some independence while providing support and guidance to them as they make their way through high school, and the best part is that you can get started right now!

But at some point, after doing all this work, it’s time to let them experience their own independence and this can be very difficult for some parents.

This week my guest is my podcast producer, Christina Lemmey, who is a work at home mom and owner of Multimedia VA. She shared her concerns about her 6th grader going on a field trip to an amusement park and how difficult it is as a mother to cut the strings and allow her to go with a new group of friends and unknown chaperones.

I gave Christina some important tips for talking with her daughter about how she expected her to act and behave on the trip and I explained why it was a good thing her daughter didn’t want her mom to chaperone the trip (and no, we’re not blaming the tempermental tween hormones!)

It’s not too late to help plan an exciting summer for your teen. From now until June 30th I’m offering a 25% off discount on my School’s Out! Plan for the Perfect Teen Summer product. Get your copy NOW before the boredom starts!

Even if your teen is very mature and you are comfortable with them staying home by themselves during the summer, for your teen it would be good if he or she has some activities planned that will keep them busy and out of trouble.

This week I’m joined by Mary Lutz of Professional Virtual Business Solutions and we chatted about our own kids’ graduations and how fast the school year went. We also spoke about what we’ve done with our own teens during the summer break and gave lots of great ideas for your teens.

Not that your teen needs supervision or a baby sitter, but your teen needs something that will encourage thinking, give her some responsibility, accountability and guidance. Here are just a few of our suggestions for keeping teens busy:

• Volunteering (most schools require 100 community service hrs. so volunteering over the summer is a good idea.)

• Getting a Summer job or a creative self employment idea – earns money, gain some independance & teaches responsiblility. Using resources that your city has available.

• YMCA/community centers – some off free programs for teens, sporting events

• School’s Out! Plan For the Perfect Teen Summer Toolkit
  

Whatever you and your teen plan for the summer – I hope it will be a safe and enjoyable one!

Today I’m pleased to interview Shonika Proctor of Renegade CEOs.com. She is an author, speaker, award winning blogger and experiential teen entrepreneur coach based in Washington, DC who has been encouraging teens across the globe to pursue their wildest dreams and tap into their innate talents.

With the state of the economy today, teens and their parents have to get more creative with their summer job choices, especially since the typical retail and restaurant jobs are being filled by over-qualified candidates. Shonika will explain how parents can determine if their teen should even being pursuing the path of entrepreneurship.

You can also get your hands on The Teen C.E.O. Blueprint & Home Study Course and your teen can learn how to start a business, publish their own book, become a public speaker and more.

My guest this week is Dr. Daisy Sutherland, aka Dr. Mommy. Daisy is a Doctor of Chiropractic by profession and a homeschooling mom to 5 beautiful children. Her passion is to teach the youth of today the importance of values and respect.

Daisy just launched a brand new program, Reserved Only, which is a 12-week structured e-learning course that teaches parents how to discuss the subject of sex and abstinence with their teen.  Find out how Abstinence is bigger than just “Sex” and also tune in to discover what the 3 R’s are.

If you are struggling with how to teach your child about abstinence and respecting their own bodies, visit the Reserved Only website and take advantage of the special introductory price offer.

Our good friend and author Vanessa Van Petten from her new site http://www.radicalparenting.com/ also joins us to tell us about the new site and all that you can find there. Stop by to see if you are radical enough and be sure to take their Radical Parenting Pledge.

Some of the topics we covered included:

• how to open up the lines of communication when  your teen just wants to be alone
• how to create an open and non-judgemental environment where your teen will feel comfortable sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings
• how to discuss tough topics such as sex, drugs, and alcohol
• and the Do’s and Don’ts of conversing with your teen

Our good friend and author Vanessa Van Petten from On Teens Today also joins us with some tips on choosing the best “car music” that teens and parents both can agree on.  Listen in for her great advice!

If you’re tackling a tough challenge with your own teen, drop me a note or leave a comment here and I’ll try to address your concerns in a future episode.

In this episode I share some great teen gift ideas and I also encourage you to talk to your teens about the dangers of drinking and driving. Many studies have shown that incidents of teen drinking rise sharply during the winter break from school so please pay attention to what your teen is doing in his free time and who she’s hanging out with. If it means being the uncool parent to confirm whether alcohol will be at a party, then be uncool. It could mean the difference between life and death.

Our good friend and author Vanessa Van Petten from On Teens Today joins us with some tips for handling a moody teen during the holidays. Sometimes you can help lift a teen’s mood simply by speaking to them as an adult, asking their thoughts on a subject, and listening to what they have to say.

Have a very Happy Holiday and a safe and Happy New Year!

My guest this week is Katy Lee of Adventures in Parenting. She is a mother of 3 – two college age children and one 8th grader – and she is also a popular speaker whose passion is to help other parents raise children with good character, compassion, and integrity.

Katy’s latest passion is teaching parents how to parent in the age of the internet. She shares why she became interested in this topic, why kids spend so much time on the computer, and why spyware and filters aren’t enough to protect our kids.

Also on today’s show is Vanessa van Petten of On Teens Today. She shares a story and tips with us about pressuring our teens.

If you have any questions you would like addressed on the show, please leave a comment below!

Special Note From Our Sponsor:  We’re seeing and hearing everywhere that our teens are over weight and that the lack of regular, healthy physical activity is affecting their social and academic development.  It’s easy to keep them fit when they’re young and you can register them in all sorts of activities like, soccer and swimming.  But when they become opiniated teens some parents have to get a little more creative and determined in order to get their teens active.  Here’s a video and description of what I did.

Opening up with your student and encouraging them to speak openly with you is tricky. But that communication is so vitally important to know what’s happening in your student’s life and if they’re experiencing any problems that they’re not mature enough to handle on their own.

This week parenting coach Vanessa Van Petten from On Teens Today shares some tips for middle schoolers who might experience bullying from “mean girls.” Bullying is not just a high school thing; very often it starts in the younger grades and can be devestating if your student is the subject of the torment.

I am also joined by Stacie Mahoe of All About Fast Pitch who talks about the top 5 mistakes student athletes and their families make during college recruiting. You’ll want to listen to every minute if you have a student athlete so you’ll know what to expect.

As always, I love to hear your comments about the shows. If you have a particular problem or interest that you’d like to see featured in a show, please leave us a comment below.