Time Management Tips for Teens Balancing Work and School

Worried About Your Teen’s Behavior: Signs Of A Troubled Teen

Advice, Communication, Teen Mental Disorders, Teenagers | 0 comments

It seems like every time you turn on the news, they are reporting on another school shooting. Everyone always talks about the warning signs and how people should have investigated further or reported unusual or scary behavior. Every teen gets moody from time to time – it’s just the nature of their hormones at that age. Every teen is different but you know your teen. You know their behavior. If you are unsure if your teen is simply “being a teen” or if they are showing signs that intervention may be needed, please continue to read this article.

Parenting a teen can sometimes leave you at your wits end, but if they exhibit the signs below, you may be faced with a troubled teen that needs additional help beyond what you can give.

Mood extremes

As we mentioned, teens are moody creatures. Their bodies are full of raging hormones and changing moods is part of the package deal during the teen years. However, if your teen has extreme changes in moods (extreme anger, extreme sadness, and hatred towards family members or others), this may be a sign something deeper is going on. Try to determine what the triggers are for their mood swings. If the moods continue despite the removal of those triggers, it may be time to seek help from a counselor or psychiatrist. They can meet with your teen and dig deeper to find the root of their problem.

Obsessions with new friends

Whenever your teen totally switches up friends, it could be a sign that something has changed in their life. They are bound to make new friends throughout their life, but when they completely cut off their old friends and start changing their appearance to fit in with new friends they made, that could be a signal that trouble is looming. Make sure that those new friends are not into dangerous or reckless behavior.

Harming themselves

Have you noticed that your teen is suddenly hiding parts of their body? Are they insisting on wearing long sleeve shirts even on warm days? If you notice that your teen is mutilating their body in any fashion, get help immediately. This behavior commonly exhibits itself before other violent or suicidal behavior. Definitely don’t push this behavior aside because it’s very serious.

Unearned Money

If your teen suddenly seems to have money that has appeared out of nowhere, it’s time to do some digging. If they are all of a sudden coming home with new electronics, clothes, or jewelry and are showing signs of being withdrawn, something bigger is going on. They could be into the selling of drugs or are stealing. Both are unsafe situations that need to be dealt with.

Lying

Do you feel like your teen is lying to you? Small white lies are one thing, but lying all the time about their whereabouts or who they are with is another. They obviously don’t want you to know where they are or who they are with, and that’s a warning sign they are up to no good. Try to get to the bottom of what they are hiding.

Lack remorse

If your teen lets you down, gets caught doing something they shouldn’t, or makes a mistake, do they show remorse? Teens that show no remorse when they are caught doing something they shouldn’t be is playing with fire. If your teen has no respect for you or others and is constantly defying you and showing no remorse, it’s time for some action.

Is Your Teen at Risk?

Some teens have certain factors that may put them at higher risk for developing the dangerous behaviors we discussed. Risk factors include teens that have been:

Sexually or physically abused.
Victims of bullying.
Dealing with a stressful life at home.
Exhibiting a past of violence and anger.
Abusing substances.

If you feel that your teen is a threat to themselves or others, please seek help. Your local mental health offices help teens on a daily basis and could work with you to help yours too. Please don’t take the warning signs lightly and get your teen the help they need.

Looking for more helpful information on various things that may affect your teen’s behavior? Check out our recent post on positive role models for teens.

Head over to our Facebook page and give it a “like.” Our staff is always posting great information on our page!! if you have any questions regarding your teens education feel free to call 800-297-2119 or head over to the Contact Us page on our website.

Teaching Homeschoolers How to Handle Conflict

Advice, Communication, Teenagers, Virtual School | 0 comments

One of the biggest concerns brought to our attention when parents are looking to switch from a traditional brick-and-mortar school to a virtual academy is will their child socialize? What opportunities are out there to get their middle/high school child interacting with others of the same age? Will they know how to interact and handle conflict if they aren’t in the traditional classroom setting 5 days a week?

The answer is yes! There are a million ways that your virtual learner can interact with others. From rec center activities to sports leagues and 4H clubs, socialization opportunities are everywhere for your student! Occasionally, parents are left feeling uneasy and they feel afraid that their student simply won’t learn social cues like others their age. We are here to assure you they will learn these behaviors and means of resolution.

As we all know, conflict occurs at every age starting from birth-105. You name the age and there is some type of conflict that needs to be worked through. Whether we are fighting with a sibling over a favorite toy as a toddler, a bully at school as a youngster, or a nasty coworker as an adult, conflict is all around us and we need to know how to deal with it.

Some of you reading this may have chosen to homeschool your child because of bullying at their previous school. It can affect your child’s self-esteem and can start to rear its ugly head in your child’s academic performance. When someone is being bullied, signs show up in all facets of their lives.

As we mentioned, conflicts will appear in every stage of life. No matter where a student is taught, parents, teachers, and students need to collaborate and teach each other how to resolve them. As adults, we need to be the ones in control and teach our students what is right and wrong. Your child’s eyes and ears are focused on you and how you handle situations. The advice you pass to them, especially by example, is a responsibility that needs to be taken seriously.

It’s important not to shelter them from every experience where they may engage in unpleasant behavior because these times will help them learn conflict resolution. However, you also don’t want to throw them to the wolves and put them in a bad situation.

To build up their interpersonal communication skills, have them interact on a regular basis with a variety of folks, such as:

family members
authority figures, such as teachers
friends
fellow students
employers (should they have a job)
groups (sports teams, field trip groups, community activities)

They will be exposed to a wide variety of characters through these interactions. It’s even important to have them safely interact with strangers. Teach them to hold the door open for people or help a handicap person reach something off of a high shelf in the grocery store. These interactions go a long way.

Let them know that everyone has different ways of doing things and they should also know that they won’t gel with everyone they meet. However, with that said, even if they conflict with another person, they can still take the high road and be kind.

As we mentioned, your kids have observed you and how you handle situations of conflict so it’s important to always remember to be a good role model. On the flip side, you can actually observe them and offer them suggestions on how to resolve their conflict. Let them know what you think they did right and what they could do differently, should the issue arise in the future.

As kids get older and enter their teenage years, the level of conflict can reach dangerous heights. It goes from bickering on the playground in elementary years to teens physically fighting or causing lasting emotional damage. Not all conflicts need to reach that level so express to your teen that if they identify a problem, they need to proactively work toward a solution before it escalates.

One good exercise to have your teen do is analyze what their own triggers are. They could also think about what triggers their friends or family members. If teens are aware of their triggers, they can make a plan of how they will handle the situation, should someone set them off.

When conflict arises in life, we should all work to identify what caused it, try to stay calm, and work out a solution that meets everyone’s needs. Make it a win-win situation. If you notice that your child is unable to mediate their own conflict, then as adults, it’s time to step in and respectfully address the issue.

Want to connect with other parents that may be facing the same issues as you? Hop over to our Facebook page and start interacting with the My Virtual Academy community. Our staff is always posting school events, activities to do with your teen, and much more. If you have any other questions about whether a virtual learning environment is right for your student, give us a call at 800-297-2119.

Hormones Flipping Your House Upside Down?

Advice, Teen Health, Teenagers | 0 comments

When your kid is in elementary school, it’s pretty even-keeled in your house. Sure, you have the meltdowns over toys and going to bed when the sun is still shining, but overall, you can distract them easily if a meltdown has started. Then your sweet little dumplings enter middle school and the game changes in a big way. Hormones are changing and the kid that you once bounced on your knee while giving butterfly kisses is now a full-rage teenager. No, you’re not imagining things and no, they don’t all of a sudden have multiple personalities, they are just entering that phase of life that has their hormones out of whack and it’s making them (and you) go bonkers!

So, what’s a person to do!? Let’s break it down…

It’s time for a candid discussion.

At this age, they have probably sat through at least one class in school where hormones are discussed but use this time to have an open discussion about it. Let them ask questions. Pull up websites to show them drawings of the female reproductive organs, if that helps ease the tension regarding having this discussion. Visuals also help paint the picture so-to-speak of things that they cannot see with their own eyes. Explain the role of hormones and how they effect our moods. Giving your teens the knowledge to know what is happening and why it’s happening can help keep their reactions in check.

Appreciate the “good” times.

If your teen is letting their hormones get the best of them, try to not take it personally. Instead, when they are having a “good” day, view that as your “in” and teach them ways to handle their emotions. We all have a range of emotions that we experience every day, the difference is as adults, we’ve learned how to cope with them. Anger, for example, is a perfectly natural emotion but unleashing that anger physically or verbally isn’t always the best thing to do. Look up various things your son or daughter can do when they are experiencing these extreme emotions and provide them with the tools to keep them in check. Explaining how their actions impact the entire household is also something that should be pointed out. If your child is at a place in their life where their parent/guardian “doesn’t know anything,” ask another trusted adult that is close with your child to have a talk with them. Sometimes it takes someone other than a parent telling us something for it to sink in.

Encourage alone time.

When you are around people all day, particularly if you’re having a bad day, don’t you just crave some time to yourself to decompress and refresh your mindset? The same thing should go for your kids. If they are having an “off” day, encourage them to go chill in their rooms or go somewhere quiet to read a book or converse with a friend on the phone. Being still allows you to work through your thoughts and allows your mind to slow down and reset. If things start to get out of hand, send them to their room to rest.

Dealing with teenage mood swings is one of the hardest parts of parenting. By the skin of your teeth, you’ll make it through and live to tell the tales that occurred during that time of parenting. Until then, take comfort in knowing that millions of parents are out there dealing with the same thing.

If you have a child in 5-12th grade that would benefit from a new way of schooling, you may want to give My Virtual Academy a go. As a student at My Virtual Academy, your child would learn from the comfort of their own home. They would have curriculum that is tailored to their individual needs and would be allowed to work at a pace that is just right for them. If this tuition-free school sounds like something you may be interested in exploring, please visit our website to learn more or give us a call at 800-297-2119.

Is Your Teen A Couch Potato? Get Them on The Move!

Activities, Advice, Teen Health, Teenagers | 0 comments

It seems that as the years go on, our children are becoming more and more sedentary. They are turning to their phones instead of riding bikes and hanging outdoors. Since this has become a societal norm, more teens are becoming overweight than ever before. A lot of teens claim not to have the time in their day to fit in the recommended 60 minutes of exercise. They are bombarded with homework and other obligations, but something is better than nothing. Helping to get your teen off of the couch and on the move will help them lower the risk for all kinds of weight-related diseases. It can be hard to have your teen go from zero to sixty in a day but encouraging them to slowly increase their activity level can have big payoffs in the health department. Check out some tips to get them moving.

Start slow.

If you come at your kid like a bootcamp instructor, their muscles will be very sore the next day and their nerves will be frazzled. This approach rarely works when you’re trying to get your teen to enjoy exercise, especially when just starting out. Instead, take the “dip your toes in” approach. Think of something that is exercise but is also fun. Do they like nature? Try taking them on a canoeing trip. Not an outdoors person? How about taking them to one of the trampoline parks? Those are a fantastic workout! When your child is interested in the activity (and not totally whipped the first time) they are more likely to want to continue doing the activity. Find something they are interested in, and gradually build up their endurance.

Sneak it in during down time.

When your teen is vegging out and watching TV at night, or playing their favorite video game, do quick fitness challenges during commercial breaks or between rounds. When a commercial comes on, challenge everyone to see who can do 10 pushups the fastest or have a sit-up contest. If you’re watching TV you can make up a game where whenever someone says a specific word (such as a character’s name, catch phrase, etc.), everyone does a certain fitness activity. These don’t need to be time consuming activities; they are meant to be short, quick, fun little bursts of exercise sprinkled into their day.

Encourage organized sports.

One good way to get them physically active is to encourage them to join a sports team. Do they enjoy playing a fast sport, like basketball? See if there are any teams that they can try out for. Does your teen love playing in the water? Perhaps you can get a membership to your local Y or city rec center and let them swim. If your teen is timid, teams are a great way to get them involved because they’ll have the encouragement of their peers.

Set a good example.

As you often hear people say, your child’s first teacher is you, the parent. Lead by example. Show them what good exercise habits look like. Show them that it’s not a chore to work out, rather it makes your body and your mind feel good and healthy. Let them know that Rome wasn’t built in a day. The results from physical activity will become evident but it takes time. They will be happier and healthier when they come up with a routine that includes exercise into the fold.

As a parent, you have their physical activity under control, let us help your 5-12th grader get their education back on track. If you have a child that is struggling in the traditional school setting, why not give virtual learning a try? Your student gets to work at their own pace, at times that best fit their daily schedule, and from the comfort of their own home – and did we mention this is a tuition-free program? Learn more about all of the exciting opportunities that are available to your student at My Virtual Academy. Please visit our website or call us at 800-297-2119.

The Time Is Now To Teach Your Teen About Money

Advice, All Educations, Creative Learning, High School, Teenagers | 0 comments

When it comes to parenting, there are certain things that people stress about teaching their children: potty training; riding bikes; long division and fractions; driving; and money! Once your children enter into high school, it’s time to have some serious lessons with them about all aspects of money. It can be a daunting task to adults because, let’s face it, just because we are adults doesn’t mean we have it all together in this department. Our hope as parents is that each generation will do better than the last. So, let’s start preparing the next generation to be smart with their money by sharing some of these tips and guiding them in the right direction – who knows, some of it just might stick!

It’s all about the budget.

Does your tween or teen get money as gifts or an allowance and want to blow it all on the latest craze or on a night out with friends? Teach them how to create a budget now so that they can continue to live within their means in the future. They’ll be adults and out of the house in the blink of an eye so set them up for success now. Have a meeting with your kid and show them how to create a budget that they can live within. The important thing here is to keep in mind you are here to guide them and introduce them to living on a budget, you are not here to create it for them. It’s very important that they be able to see the process and understand the reasoning behind allocating funds in certain categories. Ask them to jot down their expenses so they can see in black and white where their money is going. Teach them that they have a certain amount that gets rationed out for bills and other monthly expenses. Then you can help them set aside a certain amount in savings and then break down the rest into fun things they wish to do, like go to the movies, the mall, get their nails done, etc.

Set goals.

Has your teen had their eye on a big-ticket item? Often at this age, they dream of having their own car or the latest video game system. Those are both big expenses in their own right. Instead of you shelling out your hard-earned cash for those items, encourage your teen to set a savings goal and budget accordingly. They will need to determine how quickly they want to reach their goal and then figure out how much they should save each week to do so. This can be a hard thing for teens but with if they are in the right mindset, they will do it.

Explain the dangers of borrowing money.

Whether your teen just turned 18 and wants to apply for their own credit card or if your teen is asking to borrow money from you to buy something they have their heart set on, this is the perfect time to talk about the dangers of borrowing money. It might be nice to get their hands on something they desire right away thanks to a credit card but explain how much that item would cost by the time they paid back their debt. It’s easy to have that short-lived happiness cause years of financial stress and strain. The same goes for borrowing money from a loved one – don’t do it! The weight on your shoulders of having the pay them back can quickly make seeing this person a nightmare. Your teen may feel guilt, shame, and/or be embarrassed that they had to borrow money in the first place. They also may avoid seeing the person they borrowed from if they are taking longer to pay back the loan than they anticipated. Lastly, the relationship may be permanently damaged if they fail to pay back the full amount because the person who loaned the money may feel taken advantage of. It is simply a lose-lose situation and is best to be avoided.

Responsibly handling money will get your child very far in life (and will keep them from returning to the nest!). Money can be a delicate, personal subject but it’s better to set them up and get them going in the right direction now versus when they are just starting to get their hands on money versus when they are middle-aged and are caught in a pickle. Handling money responsibly translates into being responsible in other areas of their life. Start young and you won’t regret it!

As a student at My Virtual Academy, your child will learn skills that they will use their entire life, just like the financial lessons you will be teaching them. A strong education, from both school and home, will set your child up for success during their school years and beyond. If your son or daughter is in grades 5-12 and would benefit from learning at their own pace and in their own home, please give one of our Enrollment Specialists a call at 800-297-2119 or visit our website today to get more information. We hope to hear from you soon!

The Importance Of Reading Month

Books, Education, Teenagers | 0 comments

Throughout the month of March, kids all across America will be doing a lot more reading because March is National Reading Month! While students and some parents might view the extra emphasis on reading a bit tedious, the boost in reading during this month has huge rewards that continue to pay off in the near and distant future. So, what’s all the hype about and why is Reading Month so important?

Whenever there is something new going on within a school, it allows the staff to run contests to generate excitement, and push for student involvement through fun activities. Reading Month creates the perfect opportunity to touch on all of those areas! Not only do students end up having fun while learning, but their desire to read increases. Just like with any skill you practice, the more you do it, the better you get. The same goes for reading. The boost of reading during the month of March increases how long the students wish to read along with how frequently they pick up a book. Their confidence in the ability to read and retain information goes through the roof. You will notice that reading impacts all areas of their schooling so any boost of confidence in this skill is a plus!

Reading can be a wonderful outlet for students, particularly those that are going through some tough life situations. Literature allows students to take a break from their reality and transport themselves to a fantasy world. This break from reality is just what many of our students at My Virtual Academy need. Teens can find books that discuss similar issues they are facing, and many students find them to be great sources of strength and encouragement. It’s wonderful when students find a character in a book they can identify with or aspire to be. Encourage your child to do a little research to find a book that speaks to them instead of you choosing one for them. When students choose their own reading material, they tend to have a greater love for reading and show a greater interest.

As we briefly mentioned, literacy skills effect all areas of your child’s schooling. This is why National Reading Month is so important. When a student has poor literacy skills, learning across all subjects is much harder. Typically, when you are trying to learn, you start off by reading about what you’re learning in a book. Sure, there are pictures that relate to the text, but for the most part, you have to read to understand what is being taught. Imagine not being able to read very well. How on earth would you learn what the main idea is and understand the concepts being taught? You wouldn’t! You even have to be able to read math problems. Reading is such a vital part in school that educators use the month of March to promote and develop those literacy skills. Students have found their test-taking skills increase as their literacy skills increase. Proficiency in reading impacts their ability to excel in test taking, class work, and class preparation.

When you have a confident reader, you have a confident student. National Reading Month is in place to boost the love of reading while improving literacy skills. Our staff comes up with fun ways to get students reading because it pays off exponentially when it comes to their academics. If you have a son or daughter that would excel as a virtual student, please visit our website to learn more. My Virtual Academy is a tuition-free program that allows students in grades 5-12 the chance to do their schooling in the comfort of their own home, at their own pace, at times of the day that are convenient for them. Click here for more information

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