Blog Archives

6 STRESS-BUSTING TIPS TO KEEP YOUR HOLIDAYS HAPPY and Happy New years!

12/16/2015

Here are 6 Tips to get you through the Holidays stress-free!

Stress-Busting Tip #1: Stay Active
Stress-Busting Tip #2: Be a Secret Santa
Stress-Busting Tip #3: Get Your Hands Dirty
Stress-Busting Tip #4: Eat with Intention
Stress-Busting Tip #5: See the Light
Stress-Busting Tip #6: Embrace the Love

NEW YEAR'S EVE!!

As we enter into the holiday season, one of the most highly anticipated events for kids and adults alike is New Year’s Eve. While it can provide a lively opportunity to connect with family and friends, it is also one of the most dangerous nights of the year for teens, for whom the celebration often means an “all rules are off.” Just as adults can tend to “de-stress” with parties and alcohol, teens gravitate toward alcohol and other substances at their own get-togethers.

Though most adults are able to enjoy some alcohol in moderation, unfortunately teen alcohol consumption often leads to unsafe behavior. And because the developing teen brain can’t process alcohol and marijuana in the same way the adult brain is able to, judgment can become quickly impaired.

New Year’s Eve can be a difficult night for parents to set guidelines for their teens. More than any other event, this night is associated with drinking. Teens put pressure on their parents to let them go to unsupervised parties and sleepovers. Parents go out with their own friends and may be less vigilant about supervision. But be smart – have an in-depth conversation with your teens about New Year’s Eve plans and check on the details. Be clear about communicating your expectations, and connect with the parents of your teen’s friends about their expectations of responsible behavior.

Consider the following guidelines:

If your teens are going to a party, find out where, exactly what the time frame is and who will be supervising. Double check with the responsible adult – actually speak to the parent.
Talk with your teen about how they will safely get home. This is an ideal time to talk about drunk driving, reinforcing the message never to ride in a car driven by someone who has been drinking.
Model responsible alcohol consumption.
If you are hosting a party, do not leave unsupervised alcohol around where it is accessible to underage guests. Even if you trust your child, your child’s friends may be tempted by what’s available in your home.
Talk about the risks of providing alcohol to other teens, especially if you have returning college students who might let teen siblings “join the party.”
Don’t relax your family rules during the holidays -- it will be hard to revert back to previous expectations.
Talk to your child about the dangers of alcohol and marijuana on the developing brain, and set clear expectations and consequences regarding substance use at any time.

As an alternative, make New Year’s Eve a family night! You will be helping your child to change the association of New Year’s Eve from that of an alcohol-related event to a family fun night!

Be sure to know the Texas Social Host Law - "Texas social host liability is the general term for Texas law regarding the serving of alcohol. The general rule is that a party host is not responsible for the actions of guests who consume alcohol. However, Texas passed legislation in 2005 that extends liability to party hosts who provide alcohol to underage minors."

Wishing you a safe and healthy holiday season!

Holidays can be a hard time of year....
We encourage everyone to print this card and carry it.
1-800-273-TALK (8255)

-Katie Bryant

Getting ready for finals!

12/10/2015

THE 411 ABOUT "STUDY DRUGS"

It’s that time of year when students are gearing up for finals and they may be taking prescription drugs illegally to help them pull an all-nighter. Before you dismiss this article saying, “That’s not my kid!” know that in a recent study 1 percent of parents said their teenage children had taken drugs such as Adderall or Ritalin without a prescription. That is much lower than the percentage of teens that surveys suggest are using the drugs. For example, a 2012 study of high school students found that about 10 percent of sophomores and 12 percent of seniors said they had used the drugs without a prescription.

The term "study drugs" refers to prescription drugs used to increase concentration and stamina for the purpose of studying or cramming. Study drugs are prescription stimulant medications that are used improperly by a person with a prescription, or more often, illegally by a person without a prescription. These medications are used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which affect attention span, impulse control, self-discipline, and hyperactivity in the case of ADHD. Prescription stimulants used to treat ADD and ADHD include Ritalin®, Adderall®, Concerta®, and Focalin®. Using or buying these medications without a prescription is illegal. Selling your own prescription is also illegal.

Aside from legal repercussions it is important to be aware of the side effects of these medications.

·        Irregular heartbeat
·         Increased blood pressure
·         Restlessness
·         Anxiety
·         Nervousness
·         Paranoia
·         Headache
·         Dizziness
·         Insomnia
·         Mouth dryness
·         Suppressed appetite
·         Diarrhea or constipation

Prescription stimulants like Adderall® and Ritalin® have potential for physical and psychological dependence, especially among people who do not have ADHD. Continued use will result in higher tolerance to the drug and eventually require larger doses to reap the same effects. Once discontinued, withdrawal effects such as depression may occur.

We understand that some students may feel like study drugs and cramming are their only options for success. There are a number of resources at Westlake to help deal with academic and more generalized stress.

Check out: Using Study Drugs To Get Better Grades: Why You Should Think Twice!

- From 12/9/14

Proven Ways to Get the Most Out of
Study Time

Here are 9 Scientifically Proven Ways to Get the Most Out of Study Time -

Get your heart pumping.
Spread your study. Yep. You got it. No cramming.
Know what’s to come.
Teach what you’ve learned.
Test yourself.
Get some sleep.
And ditch the all-nighters.
Take a break.
Power pose.

Reminder of free Tutoring Hours – Monday and Wednesdays 4:30 – 6pm and Tuesday and Thursdays 6-8pm. Additionally, most teachers offer tutorials before the class day starts. And a reminder to look at Study Skills 101 to study smarter, not harder!

sleep!! we need more sleep!

Because a desire to perform well, stress, and lack of sleep go hand in hand check out the below two reads to learn more about the importance of sleep and how sleep deprivation can severely hinder ones' ability to perform - the opposite effect of what students want during finals time!

Skimping On Sleep Can Stress Body and Brain
Short On Sleep? You Could Be A Disaster Waiting To Happen!
Sleep and the Teenage Brain
What We've Learned About Kids And Sleep In 2015

-From 5/2015

Great tips on Reducing Test Taking Anxiety!

Finally, Student Support Counseling is available for help dealing with stress and anxiety.

-Katie Bryant

Social Media Round up!

12/1/2015

I have quite a few articles that I have been saving that all fall under the umbrella of Social Media! I have them all listed below because there are so many opinions out there on this topic, it was impossible to just include one or two.

I'm sure at some point this school year, we will repost this and include more that we have found along the way.

Why you need to have the social media ‘talk’ earlier than you might think
“We need to teach them to take a breath before they post online, just like we teach them to take a breath before they talk back to us, a teacher, a coach or a friend. We need to teach them that not every status needs to be commented on. That not every thought needs to be shared. That not every event needs to be documented. We need to teach them that it’s okay to walk away sometimes, and how to step into and out of a situation as necessary.”

I couldn’t agree more with the above. As you read the article, it does suggest letting our kids on social media at a young age so as parents we may have a greater influence on their behavior. I’m not sure if I agree with the part of letting kids on social media before the word “teen” is associated with their age. I do agree that whether you actually let them use the technology or not, you should be talking about it.

Mark Cuban: The Big Mistake You Don't Know You're Making on Social Media
Well, after watching this brief video I wanted to go delete every facebook post, every picture posted, every text, just everything! I don’t consider myself very social media savvy. In fact, it is always a goal of mine to get more in touch with what our kids are using and what else is out there. It’s hard to keep up. I am sure there are many other experts with opinions out there on this very topic, but I think this is great one to keep in mind for us as adults but more importantly to share with our kids!

On any given day, American teenagers (13- to 18-year-olds) average about nine hours of entertainment media use, excluding time spent at school or for homework. Tweens (8- to 12-year-olds) use an average of about six hours' worth of entertainment media daily."

Tween Tech: What Parents Need To Know About Instagram And Vine

Why Your Kids Love Snapchat, and Why You Should Let Them

Teens and Social Media - Experts say kids are growing up with more anxiety and less self-esteem

Screentime is making kids moody, crazy and lazy

Decoding Teen Talk: What Your Children Are Really Saying - there are so many, it is impossible to keep up but this list is a good start to be on top of what kids are really saying!

How technology is affecting sleep

An 18-Year-Old Instagram Star Says Her “Perfect Life” Was Actually Making Her Miserable -

“I was addicted to what others thought of me, simply because it was so readily available,” she wrote. “I was severely addicted. I believed how many likes and followers I had correlated to how many people liked me. I didn’t even see it happening, but social media had become my sole identity. I didn’t even know what I was without it.”

Being 13: Perils of lurking on social media -

"When adolescents lurk online, what do they see? If they are scrolling through Instagram, they likely see highly groomed, curated, filtered pictures strategically posted at a time of day when peers will be online so as to attract the maximum number of likes and comments. One student in our study told us she takes over 100 selfies (pictures of herself) to get one she likes well enough to post."

"Youth who are less socially secure, who might be vulnerable to feeling lonely or sad or socially anxious, likely face several perils of lurking online. First, the more time they spend lurking, the more likely they are to observe friends having a wonderful time without them. In our study, nearly half said they had felt excluded by seeing social media posts about friends doing things together without them, and more disturbingly, over a third said they themselves had posted on social media in ways that made others feel excluded."

-Katie Bryant

6 STRESS-BUSTING TIPS TO KEEP YOUR HOLIDAYS HAPPY and Happy New years!

NEW YEAR'S EVE!!

Getting ready for finals!

THE 411 ABOUT "STUDY DRUGS" ​

Proven Ways to Get the Most Out of​ Study Time

sleep!! we need more sleep!

Social Media Round up!

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THE 411 ABOUT "STUDY DRUGS"

Proven Ways to Get the Most Out of
Study Time