Olson's JH Blog

Every JH (and HS) kid needs to watch this.

Gratitude...responsibility...humility...platform.

Enjoy.

Yesterday in JH chapel we took a look at practical do's and don'ts for teens and technology these days. With the advent of multiple-function devices, which operate on an anywhere, anytime platform, parents and kids have to learn entirely new (in some cases) paradigms in terms of their usage patterns. More importantly, a philophical framework has to be reviewed and specifically taught to kids, as they do not know life without 24/7 digital technology at their fingertips (or their friend's

So your kid asks you a difficult personal question about your childhood: what do you say?

Do you worry about exposing yourself in an uncomfortable way?

What if your kid takes license with your example and says (or feels) "well, you turned out okay, so it can't be that bad, right?"

What if this one question turns into 20 more?

There are obviously different shades to this issue, but bottom line, answer their question if you can. Kids are looking for adults who are real, and transparency is a

I've seen most episodes of the show Friends, which ran for nine seasons on NBC, eventually taking over the vaunted 9PM slot from Seinfeld on Thursday nights. Content-wise, it was a mess, though, like so many shows, it was incredibly clever and witty. While most of the content-mess centered around sexuality, it also created another legacy, that of funny sarcasm. While I don't lay our current culture's problem with sarcasm squarely at the feet of a show like Friends, it certainly perpetuated the

Here's a helpful (and quick) article dealing with our sleep patterns and electronics. The ubiquity of our gadgets and screens keeps us in-the-know, but it also jacks-up our ability to get a good night's sleep. The content in this article is practical and helpful for everyone--kids and parents alike. As adults, it's easy to focus content like this on our kids, but before we say anything to them, we must first reflect on our own practices. As the old saying goes, "values are caught more than

Hi folks,

I found this article over the weekend which you might find helpful. It deals with talking with your kids about potentially tough subjects like appropriate uses of Twitter, mobile communication, and suicide. Sometimes it's hard to know where to begin on tough subjects, especially with JH-aged kids and their often-times raw ability to navigate deeper material.

For what it's worth...

Mike

Hi everyone,

It's report card time, which, depending on how the grades turned out, is either a time of prayer and intercession, or rejoicing and ice cream. Perhaps if their grades are in-between, rejoice, but do so by getting them some some sugar-free ice cream and telling that they are on the right track...but can do better. If they pull them up appropriately, take them to Cold Stone and go nuts!

This post is really aimed at 7th grade parents, as you are about to receive your kiddo's first JH

I love Junior High.

Honestly.

If you've ever wondered what it's like to teach JH-aged students. Please enjoy the following clip...

This is my 18th year at BCS, but my first as a BCS parent. My daughter is in 7th grade, and we're going through many of the typical parental ups-and-downs associated with life at this stage.

If you've said or thought any of the following things, you are definitely a JH parent:

"Demon...come out!"

"Who are you, and what have you done with my child!?!"

"Who raised

This is one of those "if the shoe fits, wear it" posts...

If you have a kiddo that rides their bike to school, we love that.

We also love it when they don't almost get hit by cars and run into people while riding on campus.

Therefore, we are asking kids to walk their bikes to the bike rack (coming) and road (leaving) so as to avoid the aforementioned catastrophes. Teens tend to whip around on their bikes without too much thought as to who else might be standing/walking/driving right around the