Planning and Parenting Guidance

College, graduate school, independent day and boarding school applications and school visits, essay editing, sports and social schedules are all activities of the season. Combined with the upcoming demands of holiday planning, it's enough to stress even the calmest of families.

Working with an independent advisor can often relieve some of the parent/child tension points that occur during this busy time. Be sure to:

• Plan family activities that do not involve academics;
• Encourage your child to exercise and eat well. Did you know that 14-18 year olds eat the equivalent of 34 teaspoons of sugar every day?;
• Resist the temptation to over-book, building some "chilling-out" time into everyone's schedule.

Having trouble talking to your teenager? You can now get guidance directly from the mouths of babes. Two 17-year olds have authored this book to help parents "break the code" on communication.

Students applying to college and graduate school and those who are job-hunting need to watch their manners in the virtual world as well as the real world. 10% of college admission officers confess to looking at applicants' Facebook profiles. Here is some useful guidance.