How do our children’s experiences compare to our own experiences at the same age? The 2008 Duke University Child Well-Being Index compared high school seniors from 1975-1977 to seniors 28 years later (an average of one generation apart).

There’s good news and bad news. Compared to their parents, America’s 21st century teens are much less likely to die from accidents, violence, or disease. They are much less likely to smoke cigarettes, binge drink, use illegal drugs, or to have children while teens. They are much less likely to either commit or be victims of violent crimes.

On the other hand, they are dramatically more likely to be sedentary, to be overweight or obese, and to already have obesity-related health conditions of middle age. Today’s teens are somewhat more likely to finish high school and to vote, but also more likely to commit suicide.

The Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI) tracks a total of 28 different objective statistics from among seven different domains of well-being in kids of all ages. Compared to 1975, health, social relationships, and emotional/spiritual well-being (which includes suicide statistics) are worse today. Safety/behavior, community connectedness, and economic well-being have all improved, along with a slight improvement in educational attainment.

The economic improvement numbers may be a bit misleading. True, the average family income has grown – but so has the percentage of families living below the poverty line. We are seeing greater disparity. Also, these numbers were gathered before the mortgage crisis, the surge in gasoline prices, and other economic problems of 2007-2008. I expect the real 2007-2008 numbers will be worse.

Each year the Foundation for Child Development delivers a composite score, the CWI, for the average well-being of children between the ages of 0 and 17 in the United States, compared to a baseline score of 100 in 1975. The latest score, calculated from 2006 statistics is 102.5. In other words, they estimate that our children are now a bit better off overall than we were at the same age. What do you think?

Land FC and the Foundation for Child Development. The 2008 Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI) Report. Duke University. July 22, 2008.

You may have been hearing the many warnings about exposing young children to too much of the televised re-tellings of the tragedy. Teenagers, though, are at a different point in their lives. While some may be uninterested in the news, others will want to be glued to the TV, eager for each fresh detail as it emerges. Allowing them to pursue their level of curiosity is usually best, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

1) They need to also engage in non-tragedy related activities to maintain a balanced perspective.

2) When they are focusing on the tragedy, it is wise to get them to take constructive action (write letters, create poems, collect pennies, call the red cross, etc).

3) Remind them of other historical tragedies (Pearl Harbor, the Challenger space shuttle disaster, the 1812 destruction of Washington D.C. by invaders) and how we emerged stronger after each one. (They are mature enough to grasp the gravity of the present situation, but need our help with putting it all in context).

4) Engage them in mature discussion of events (who do you think did this, why did they do it, what should be done about it, how do we prevent it in the future, etc.)

5) Remind them (and everyone) how important it is not to lump people of one faith or one nationality together, angrily blaming people who share our grief at the inhuman actions of September 11th.

6) Collect and share stories of humanity, courage, triumph and love. Even in the midst of this horror, beauty is shining strongly. This event could bring you closer together than ever before.

Nearly one sixth of high school boys and one third of high school girls show some of the symptoms of an eating disorder, according to a presentation at the 2001 annual meeting of The Society for Adolescent Medicine.

Over 5000 students from 152 high schools nationwide were surveyed about their eating habits. Very unhealthy symptoms such as compulsive eating, binge eating, and vomiting were more common that suspected. 12% of the high school girls surveyed said they vomited to control their weight!

Eating problems are much easier to treat before they become full-blown eating disorders. Seek help from a healthcare professional if you wonder about a problem in your teen.

Teenage marijuana use has decreased slightly for three years running (after peaking at 44% who had used the drug at least once in 1997). According to the 2000 annual report of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 40% of today’s 7-12 graders reported using marijuana at least once, and 21% have used it in the past month.

While pot remains the drug most used by teens, the “club drug” ecstasy is rapidly gaining in popularity. Its use has increased almost 50% in just one year and has doubled in the last five years.

It pays for parents to understand the issues surrounding ecstasy, both from kids’ perspectives and from medical experts’.

As parents, we want our children to navigate through the teen years without abusing alcohol or drugs. Many are concerned that children with ADHD who take stimulant medications such as Ritalin might be predisposed to drug abuse later.

A study published in the August 1999 online edition of Pediatrics turned this concern upside down.

Children with ADHD who were not treated with stimulants such as Ritalin were three times more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs as teenagers than similar children who had been treated!