High School
September 4, 2012
Julia hit a growth spurt last year and now at age 14 she is almost 5'7". Julia is taller then most boys in her grade. Over the summer her birthday party included both boys and girls. I have been expecting Julia to show some interest in boys as this is typically the age where boys and girls enjoy the company of one another. Julia has even been on some outings lately involving small groups of boys and girls. I know there is a winter formal at school this year and Julia has already asked me to help her find a dress.
Julia has developed some anxiety related to the transition from middle school to high school. I tried to ease her mind by letting her know that high school experiences were some of my most fond memories and it will likely be the same for her. I also have a talk with Julia about peer pressure and the use of illegal drugs, cigarettes and alcohol. We know teens are often influenced by peer groups and role models on tv participating in these types of behaviors. I want Julia to maintain a comfort level in discussing these topics with her parents as she progresses through the teenage years. I also had a talk with Julia about safe sex practices. We know about 2.5 million teenagers contract an STI every year, by talking with Julia I wanted her to be able to make informed choices about her sexual behavior. I believe an open dialogue and establishing a comfort level to discuss these topics will help Julia feel at ease talking to her parents should these situations come up in her social life.
My husband and I have decided to proceed with a divorce. We are both living in the same city and co-parenting the children on a regular schedule. The girls live with me 5 days a week and go see their dad on weekends. We are both active in attending school events and extra curricular activities with the girls so they do not feel like either parent is missing out. At first we noticed Julia blaming herself for the divorce. She was a bit less cheerful than usual but thankfully it was not influencing her grades or peer interactions. My ex-husband and I have promised each other to continue to be as involved in both of the girls lives as possible so they can maintain as consistent family dynamics as possible.
Julia hit a growth spurt last year and now at age 14 she is almost 5'7". Julia is taller then most boys in her grade. Over the summer her birthday party included both boys and girls. I have been expecting Julia to show some interest in boys as this is typically the age where boys and girls enjoy the company of one another. Julia has even been on some outings lately involving small groups of boys and girls. I know there is a winter formal at school this year and Julia has already asked me to help her find a dress.
Julia has developed some anxiety related to the transition from middle school to high school. I tried to ease her mind by letting her know that high school experiences were some of my most fond memories and it will likely be the same for her. I also have a talk with Julia about peer pressure and the use of illegal drugs, cigarettes and alcohol. We know teens are often influenced by peer groups and role models on tv participating in these types of behaviors. I want Julia to maintain a comfort level in discussing these topics with her parents as she progresses through the teenage years. I also had a talk with Julia about safe sex practices. We know about 2.5 million teenagers contract an STI every year, by talking with Julia I wanted her to be able to make informed choices about her sexual behavior. I believe an open dialogue and establishing a comfort level to discuss these topics will help Julia feel at ease talking to her parents should these situations come up in her social life.
My husband and I have decided to proceed with a divorce. We are both living in the same city and co-parenting the children on a regular schedule. The girls live with me 5 days a week and go see their dad on weekends. We are both active in attending school events and extra curricular activities with the girls so they do not feel like either parent is missing out. At first we noticed Julia blaming herself for the divorce. She was a bit less cheerful than usual but thankfully it was not influencing her grades or peer interactions. My ex-husband and I have promised each other to continue to be as involved in both of the girls lives as possible so they can maintain as consistent family dynamics as possible.
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