Parenting Daily

I just want you all to know I’m now an Angel. Okay, technically, I’m a CherryPal Brand Angel. What does that mean? Well, it means that this blog and my dedication to the writing lifestyle over the past few months, combined with some luck, are getting me a free desktop CPU. This is a very good thing for me, personally, since I am pretty broke, my desktop tower has been broken since November 2006 (though it makes a good decoration sitting on top of the fridge!), and this laptop acts funky now that it’s three years old. I’ll admit it first—I’d never heard of CherryPal. Have you? Probably not. They’re doing a really grassroots campaign, which I sincerely hope is successful. In return for giving some number of us (I have no idea how many) these free CherryPal units, we are expected to blog about them (honestly! They encourage us to talk about the good, the bad, the ugly, the beauty, etc.—don’t hold back!), talk about them on our social networking pages (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and just be available to try to help answer questions if any of our readers, friends, and family have questions about them. The units haven’t shipped yet, due to some delays (pretty standard for a startup), but the website has a lot of good info: www.cherrypal.com AND I can offer you all my personal promotional code to use if you’d like to pre-order a unit. These units are not going to be sold in brick-and-mortar stores… maybe ever… but at least to start. The units are really affordable but bare-bones– $249. through PayPal and it is ONLY the desktop unit. No monitor, no keyboard, no mouse, etc. Which, frankly, is just perfect for me since I noted my tower broke down—before the tower broke, I had been steadily replacing each peripheral so my monitor, keyboard, and mouse are just barely used and I’m so excited to get them out when the desktop arrives! With this promotional code– CPP269– (which you are to enter on the SECOND page of the order process), $10. will be refunded to you when the order is processed. Check out the website and read up on the technology. I think you’ll be as impressed as I am. And with back-to-school right around the corner, I think this is a fabulous idea for your teen students. For teens going back to college, look how teeny the desktop is! Those dorm rooms are small, Mom and Dad! Pair this unit with a flat screen monitor, and your teen will still have room left on the desk! More posts about the CherryPal will be forthcoming once I receive it and start using it and seeing what it can do. I’m so excited! I haven’t been this excited about a computer since I heard about the One Laptop Per Child program years ago.

Woah, Dude! It’s a ranch! I probably post too many of these kinds of jobs, but these are the kinds of jobs that appealed to me when I was much younger—outdoorsy, adventuresome things. Today, we’re showcasing a job on an actual dude ranch. Located in Idaho, the Red Horse Mountain Ranch is hiring housekeep and serving staff. No, the job itself doesn’t sound all that intriguing, but the location could be very appealing to some teens. Positions are to be filled immediately until October. The obvious complication is school. Perhaps this is a good job for someone in the general area who can commute or someone who is inbetween high school and college, or who is done with school for the time being. Housing is available, as are meals. This is the full job listing.  

If I haven’t mentioned it before now, I’m kind of a pop culture/celeb news/gossip site hound. It’s not something I’m particularly proud of at my age, but I’m also not anxious to banish it from my life. It’s a fun vice and so, for the moment, I’m okay with my addiction. At any rate, the younger sister of pop star/occasional train wreck Britney Spears, Jamie Lynn Spears is apparently starting to plan her wedding. The 17-year-old was previously star of the hit Nickelodeon tween/teen sitcom, Zoey 101. She announced her pregnancy by her also teenaged boyfriend, Casey Aldridge, earlier this year. In June, she gave birth to baby girl Maddie Briann Aldridge. Several months ago, while still pregnant, she and Casey had gotten engaged, Ms. Spears obtained her GED, and purchased a new home in Mississippi. In my parents’ generation, Ms. Spears either would have immediately married her beau upon finding out she was pregnant, or she would have been hidden away until the baby issue was resolved, one way or another. But in this day and age, it’s not as scandalous. Which leads me to wonder: are they even doing the right thing by getting married? They’re so young! I’m really divided on this. I hope they are truly in love and that they can make the marriage work and raise their daughter with all the love and support and security she deserves. But I know how much I, personally, changed from 17 to just 22, let alone to 27, to 32, etc. You get my point. Now tell me your opinions.  

If you have a television, you’ve no doubt noticed the ads in the past few years about parents taking control of their children’s television viewing habits… or, at least, informing us that we have tools available to help us do that. When they’re younger, this seems easier to do. Their interests are pretty limited and you’re buying everything they use, you’re usually around when they’re watching television and movies, and you’re usually there to hear the music, as well. But the older they get, the more independent they are, and the more “media” items they may have access to on their own—TVs and stereos in their bedrooms, they can go to friends’ homes, they may have the money to buy their own cds, dvds, games, etc. I’ve posted before that I think most, if not all, reading materials do not need to be censored (in my opinion, folks! Do what you like!), nor does musical preferences. But there’s ongoing speculation that viewing violence on TV, in movies, and playing certain video games can lead to a detachment, unreality, and a host of things that aren’t good for anyone, let alone teens whose brains are, yes, still forming and maturing! Commonsensemedia.org is a fabulous site for keeping up with what your kids are watching, playing, listening to, and yes, even reading. It includes parent reviews, news headlines, and other tips that parents with any minor children should check out.

Working at the movie theater was one of those jobs in high school that I thought would be horrible. Who would want to clean up all the popcorn and take care of those sticky floors, I thought. I always chose retail jobs, feeling somehow above my peers who had to work with any sort of food (don’t worry, karma got its revenge in many a food job in college!). Now that I’m older, working in a movie theater sounds like one of those great, classic teen jobs that maybe I should have tried. Pass on the word to your teens: AMC Theatres, with locations across the country, are hiring. Some jobs do have a minimum age requirement of 18 (i.e., the jobs where you would have to handle any alcoholic beverages—though I’ve yet to experience one of the theaters with *those* privileges!), but many start at age 16. Concessionists, ushers, cashiers, and runners are all good positions to try for a first job at AMC Theatres. The website allows you to search for jobs, find out more about the available positions, and even apply online. The best benefit, in my opinion: free movie vouchers! Too fun!  

A bizarre twist on the phenomenon of adult women interacting inappropriately with teens comes out of the Seattle, Washington area. A 30 year old woman, Lorelei Corpuz, posed for over a year as a 17-year-old orphaned teen boy! While in her 17-year-old disguise, she met a 15-year-old girl at a local mall and eventually moved in with the girl and her family. Without getting into details, which you can see here if you so choose, the girl and Ms. Corpuz had a relationship, including physical abuse of the 15-year-old girl. The girl believed Lorelei to be a male and admitted to police she had feelings for “him” until she found out he was actually a woman. Ms. Corpuz later pled guilty to a single count of third-degree child molestation, served time in jail, and was released. As of Monday, however, Corpuz, now 31, is back behind bars for violating her parole by being in contact with minors again. I’d like to say obvious things like: Don’t let strangers move into your home, don’t leave teens of the opposite sex alone, etc…. but this is just so bizarre, I’m not sure anyone could have seen this one coming. Just be careful, parents.

90210—if you haven’t heard by now, the outrageously popular teen drama hit of the 90s, Beverly Hills, 90210, is being recycled into a new version. 90210, set to premiere on the CW channel on September 2, looks to rival the CW’s other hit teen drama, “Gossip Girl.” If you haven’t seen previews, let me tell you they seem to be missing that element of fun that I remember from watching the original series. Sure, there was plenty of scandal on the original series, too, but the opening was a bunch of teens having fun and looking like they belong in high school. And the previews could be misleading but, thus far, it looks like a soap opera full of 20-somethings.Come to think of it, so does “Gossip Girl”. Hmmm… at any rate, for more information on a series your teen may be checking out, look here.

Today, I have an exciting job for outdoors adventure lovers. Trust me, if I was a lot younger and didn’t have any responsibilities, I’d be all over this job. Alaska Travel Adventures, headquartered in Juneau, AK, is looking for whitewater rafting river tour guides! Okay, Moms and Dads, if just reading this is giving you a heart attack, I understand. But if you have a teen who loves adventure and risk-taking anyway, why not funnel it into something productive? They’ll even be paid to use up all that excess adrenaline! The job runs through the end of September, they offer training (doesn’t that set your mind at ease?), an end-of-season bonus, and travel and housing assistance. Seriously, think it over! There’s also an online job application, so check it out.

Are you involved in your school or region’s PTA? Some parents think PTA is only for younger grades. In some cases, that’s true—PTA may drop off a bit when students hit high school. At that point, teens are pretty good at running the student council and use a lot of teacher sponsors for activities. I do encourage parent involvement in their children’s schools, no matter their age or grade. Go to the open houses, get their phone numbers and email addresses, take advantage of online systems that let you check your child’s homework, grades, attendance, and discipline records. I also like the pta.org website. While browsing the site today, I came across this great article on incorporating all ages of kids into a visit to the museum. So often, it seems children’s interests are so varied, it can be difficult for parents of children with different age ranges to find an activity that works for everyone. I hadn’t thought of the museum as being a good choice, but check out the article for yourself. And tell me, are you still involved in PTA even though your child is a teen?

Continuing the sickening trend of female authority figures having inappropriate relations with those they’re supposed to be taking care of… out of Ohio comes the case of 25-year-old Carolyn Hatcher. She was working as a House Mother in a foster care facility and seduced a 16-year-old boy. She is now approximately 10 weeks pregnant. She’s also married and also a teacher. Seriously, I can’t understand this. Unless you’ve lived without a television set since the days of Mary Kay Letourneau, circa 1996, how can you possibly think you’re going to get away with such behavior? It’s like those “Dateline: Predator” specials where dozens of guys drive hours to see an alleged minor, with the intention of having sex, drinking, watching porn, etc. and then they’re surprised when they’re arrested. HOW?? There have to be some safeguards enacted. Anyone have any ideas?