Don't Yell At Me, Mom!

    Why do we need to see the results of another "study" to tell us what we intuitively know?  Do you respond well to your boss who yells at you?  Or do you respect the one who praises you when you do a good job?

   Well, guess what?  Your teenager is just like you.  Shouting and yelling are not effective for them, either.

    A study by Ming-Te Wang of the University of Pittsburgh showed that " 13 year olds who received a lot of harsh verbal discipline from their parents were more likely to have symptoms of depression at age 14."  Not surprisingly they also exhibited anger, aggression and general bad behavior.

    Remember "do unto others?"  If you want respect, give respect. If you are losing it and cursing or name-calling, don't be shocked if you hear the same kind of talk coming out of your teen's mouth. And, of course, that just escalates the situation.

   "When it comes to rearing teens, "the big three are good communications, love, and limits," according to adolescent psychologist Neil Bernstein, author of "How To Keep Your Teenager Out of Trouble and What To Do If You Can't."

   So just remember "Calm The F*** Down."