• The Community Alliance publishes an issue of the Parents' Page each month since 1994.  Each issue includes a parenting question, responses from district parents, staff and/or high school students, facts, and resources.  Contact Anne Wilding (anne_wilding@www.claytonschools.net, 854-6753) to see if there is a Parents' Page that addresses a topic of interest to you. 
    Topics include:
     
    Issue #1 
    I’ve been hearing things about the kids my child hangs out with using alcohol or other drugs.  What is the best way to approach my child about this?

    Issue #2 
    Does every adult hold some responsibility for the safety of the children in our community?  If you see a neighbor or friend’s child buy alcohol, smoke, bring beer to your house, pass you on the street driving too fast, etc.  Would you contact the child’s parent?  Would you, as a parent, want to be contacted about your child?

    Issue #3
    What can I as a parent do about the unsupervised parties high school students are having?  It seems many parents do not take precautions to avoid leaving their home unsupervised on weekends.

    Issue #4
    How can I tell when my child is stressed out? What can I do as a parent to help my child deal with stress resulting from academic and social pressures?

    Issue #5
    We have some inspiring young people in our community.  Please share some of the positive things your kids/students and their friends are doing.  How do they make a difference in your home, their school, and community?
    For Students:  Please share some of the positive things you and your friends are doing to make a difference in your home, school and community.  What inspired you to do these things?

    Issue #6
    How do you teach your children to respect people whose political views, religious or cultural practices, or sexual orientation is different from yours? 
    For Students: What did your parents/teachers/other adults in your life do to help you grow up to respect people whose political views, religious or cultural practices, or sexual orientation is different from yours?  What events or circumstances opened your views?

    Issue #7
    How do you determine when it is safe / age appropriate for your children to take the next step toward independence: going to a movie without an adult?  Walk around the mall? Go on dates as a couple?
     
    Issue #8
    How do you help your child navigate their social world?  How important is it to you to be “popular”?  What does it mean to be “popular”?  How does it influence the decisions your children make?

    Issue #9
    For Adults: If your teen is doing well - has lots of friends, gets good grades, plays sports, etc. do you really have to worry about problem alcohol and other drug use? What are the signs that there is a problem with alcohol and other drug use?
    For Students:  What could parents do to support you in making healthy decisions around alcohol and other drugs?  What do parents do that enables the problem?  Can you be successful in school and have a problem?

    Issue #10
    What do you do to keep your kids safe on the Internet?

    Issue #11
    For Adults: Even if we talk the talk and walk the walk with our kids about not using alcohol and other drugs, they still may choose to use or find themselves in an uncomfortable/unsafe situation.  What steps can we take so that if this happens, our kids come home safely?
    For Students: What can your parents do to help you stay safe?

    Issue #12
    For Adults: How do you feel about teen/school dances? What do you like about them?  Do you have any concerns?  How do you feel about being a chaperone/party helper?
    For Students: Teen/ School Dances: How do you feel about them?  What do you like best?  What kind of music do you like at them? Does anything make you uncomfortable at school dances? How do you feel about adult chaperones?


    Issue #13
    For Adults: Do you feel peer pressure as a parent?  What actions do you wish other parents took that would support you?
    For Students: What kinds of peer pressure do you /your friends feel?  How do you/they handle it?
     
    Issue #14
    Adults:  What can I as a parent do about the unsupervised parties high school students are having?  It seems many parents do not take precautions to avoid leaving their home unsupervised on weekends.
    Students:  How do you feel about going to parties at a friend's house when no adults are there?   What can your parents do to help keep you safe?

    Issue #15
    Adults: What do you do to keep your kids safe on the Internet? Do you have guidelines regarding your teens and Face Book and My Space?
    Students:  Do your parents know what you put on My Space or Face Book?  If so, does it bother you?  Have you ever been harassed or received an e-mail that made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe?  What do you do to keep yourself safe on-line?

    Issue #16
    So you have had the talks and set the boundaries.  Your teen knows you do not want them to drink. What do you do/say if your child says, “I will drink and I can handle it.”
    Students:  Do you know students who drink and think they can handle it?  Do you think they can?

    Issue #17
    For Adults:  Do you think your teen gets enough sleep?  What problems do you think lack of sleep causes for your teen?  What do you do to help him/her get enough sleep?
    For Students:  Do you think you get enough sleep most nights?  Do you have problems getting to sleep or staying asleep?  How does not getting enough sleep affect you? What could your parents do to help you get enough rest?

    Issue #18
    Sexual harassment, date rape and personal safety are major issues for today’s teens.  As a parent, how have you discussed these issues with your teen?  What are your expectations for your children when they are dating? Talking to friends?  E-mailing? Text messaging? On Facebook?

    Issue #19
    For Adults: When would you be concerned that your child might be depressed or suicidal?  What would you do?
    For Students: How would you know if you or a friend has depression? What would you do? Would you seek help from an adult?  When?

    Issue #20
    Underage drinking is a problem at CHS dances.  Over 50 incidents have been recorded at Clayton High School in the past 5 years. Most school districts have 5 to 10 such occurrences in 5 years.  Five of our students have left the dance on a stretcher and were taken to the hospital.  Why do you think this is?

    Issue #21
    For Adults:  If your teen is with a group at a friend’s house, what do you expect the parents to be doing to chaperone?
    For Students:  When a group of your friends are at a friend’s house, what do the friend’s parents do to chaperone?  What should they do?

    Issue #22
    For Parents/Staff:  What do you do to encourage your teen to spend time at home with your family?  Does your family set guidelines about how many nights a week your child can be out with friends?
    For Students: How much time do you spend at home with your family?  What kinds of things do you enjoy doing with your family?

    Issue #23
    For Parents/ Staff:  Spring break Trips: What can you do to protect your children?  What kinds of conversations do you want to have with your teen about spring break?  What options are there?  What limits do you set as a parent?
    For students:  What are some safe things you would like to do during spring break?

    Issue #24
    For Parents/Staff:  What helped shape your attitudes about alcohol and other drugs when you were growing up?  What do you do as a parent to shape your children’s attitudes?

    Issue #25
    For Parents/Staff: We are all dealing with a lot of stress. Do your teens know healthy ways to relax, unwind, and rejuvenate when they feel stressed out?  How do you support them? What examples are you setting for your teens in the ways you deal with stress?
    For Students:  How stressed out do you feel?  What do you do to relax and unwind?  Do you think the adults you know are stressed out?  What do they do to relax?  Are they good examples of what to  do?

    Issue #26 
    How do you feel about hotel parties?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of hosting?  Attending?

    Issue #27 
    What Can We Do About Parties?
     
     Issue #28
    How does the Community Alliance help you as a parent?

    Issue #29:
    Spring break Trips: What can you do to protect your children?  What kinds of conversations do you want to have with your teen about spring break?  What options are there?  What limits do you set as a parent?

    Issue #30:
    Is texting taking over your teen’s life?  What are the positive and negative impacts of texting? How old should your children be before they are allowed to text?  What education and limits do you give your teens about texting?

    Issue #31:
    Have you talked to your children about prescription drug abuse?  What do you do to keep prescription drugs out of the hands of your teens and their friends?

    Issue #32: 
    What do you do to build developmental assets in your children? In the children in our community?

    Issue #33:
    How do you address the Nature Deficit Disorder in your house?  How do you get your children away from phone, TV and computer screens and outdoors with time to enjoy and learn about nature?

    Fun Things to Do in the Lou

    Be a Volunteer

    Issue #34
    For parents: What suggestions do you have for supportive ways parents can respond when their children are struggling to navigate their social world?
    For students:  Tell us about being “popular” at CHS.  Is it important? What makes a student “popular”?  How does being “popular” or wanting to be “popular” influence students’ decisions?

    Issue #35
    For parents: How can you tell when your child is stressed out? What do you do as a parent to help your child deal with stress from academic and social pressures?
    For students: What causes you stress?  What can adults in your life do to help you manage stress?

    Issue #36
    For Parents: Is marijuana a problem in Clayton?  What do you do as a parent to know about the latest trends in teen drug use?
    For Students: Is marijuana use a problem in Clayton?  Do your parents and your friends’ parents know what is going on?  Do they talk to you regularly about alcohol, marijuana or other drugs?

    Issue #37
    For Parents/ Staff:  Spring break Trips: What can you do to protect your children?  What kinds of conversations do you want to have with your teen about spring break?  What options are there?  What limits do you set as a parent?
    For students:  What are some safe things you would like to do during spring break?

    Issue #38
    For parents:  What guidelines have you set in your family around social networking (screen time, cell phone use, Myspace, Facebook, texting, etc.)?
    For students:  What rules/guidelines does your family have about cell phones, texting, etc.  When do you think it is safe for younger kids to get a cell phone? Be able to text?

    Issue #39
    What are your biggest concerns about teen sexuality?