Annie Fox for Parents...

Parent Forum

Welcome to Annie Fox’s Parent Forum — online education and support for parents raising tweens and teens. At times, your job is the toughest in the world. That’s true, in part, because your daughters and sons may be pushing back hard, trying to convince you that they’ve got it all figured out. They don’t. Not yet. Your 21st century teens still need you. To lead them effectively, you need 21st century parenting skills.

So read my blog, and Q & A from other parents, check out my Parenting Tips and my essays. Have a listen to my new podcast series “Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting” where I interview authors of exciting new parenting books. Or send me a question. You’ll get straightforward advice that you can use immediately to create healthier relationships in your family. That’s going to translate into more trust, respect, honesty, and open communication at home. Sounds like something we’d all like more of, right?

Annie’s Blog:
Friendship issues from the 5th grade

May 8, 2012

After a brief hiatus (due to an Autism Awareness Month blog and a review of the new documentary Bully), here is Part 4 of a 5-part series on elementary school friendship issues. If you're new to this series and you want to help the kids in your life deal with peer conflicts and bullying, please check out the previous segments: Friendship issues from the 2nd grade, the 3rd grade, and the 4th grade) Next up... Questions from the 6th grade.

How do you know someone is your friend? + 7 other similarly worded questions.

It's a great question because you can't tell just from looking at someone or maybe not even from knowing them for a little while. So how can you tell when someone is a real friend or a fake friend? To answer this question, I asked my best friend, my husband David. Without hesitation he said, "By the way the person treats you!" Excellent answer! I agree. If you are wondering whether your friend is the real kind, there's probably something going on that makes you uncertain about the friendship. Otherwise, you wouldn't be asking the question. Aside from looking at your friend's behavior, there's another piece to figuring out if someone is a true friend or not, and that has to do with the way you feel when you're with that friend. If you feel relaxed, safe, respected, accepted, listened to and comfortable enough to "be yourself," then chances s/he is a real friend. Make sure that you are a real friend too!

If your friend is telling secrets, what should you do? There is no rule that says friends must tell each other everything. More »


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What's New?
''Middle School Confidential 2: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind'' iPad app ''Are You My Friend?'' iBook by Annie Fox, Illustrated by Eli NoyesAvailable on the iBookstore ''The Teen Survival Guide to Dating & Relating: Real-World Advice on Guys, Girls, Growing Up, and Getting Along'' by Annie Fox M.Ed.
Annie Fox Podcast - Family Confidential: Secrets of Successful Parenting
Letters from Parents & Teens

Sex and Sexuality:
“What should I do about my daughter?”

Dear Annie,

I think my 16-year-old daughter may be having sex with her 18-year-old boyfriend. What should I do?

Freaked Mom

Read Annie’s Answer »

Communication Problems:
“My son is 15. Why doesn't he want to talk about college?”

Hey Terra,

My son is in 10th grade and college selection and admissions will soon be on us. We seem to have a hard time discussing this calmly at home and the anxiety is causing our communication to unravel. In addition to advice, are there any college counselors you'd recommend who would help us navigate...

Read Annie’s Answer »