Free Lecture on Parenting Teens

While I’ve still got a few more years (thank goodness!) before my little ones reach their teen years, I’m somewhat daunted by the prospect of–what my mother often described as– living with aliens under my roof.  As a teen, I had to agree, only I thought I was the normal one and she was the alien.  Knowing what I’ve put poor mom through during that time, I’d say I’ve got my work cut out for me!

It’s true that not all parent/teen relations suffer from miscommunication, but many families feel the growing pains during the teen years a little moreso than others.  If you’re a parent that faces challenges talking to your teenage child, then you might be interested to know about an upcoming free lecture on parent and teen communication, hosted at Hamilton International Middle School.

“Staying Close While Standing Back…the Art and Science of Parenting Adolescents” is a lecture presented by Julie Metzger, RN, MN. This talk will take place in the Hamilton at Lincoln site library, on Wednesday, February 24, from 7-9 p.m.

The talk will focus on family members building trust and respect for one another, and how parents can remain connected with their kids while encouraging them to be resilient, accountable and independent people.  It will provide an in-depth look at how teens view the world today, what choices they make as they develop physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively.

Julie Metzger, RN MN is a pediatric nurse, writer and educator.  For over 20 years she has worked with families of teens and pre-teens on topics of puberty, sexuality and decision making.  She has shared her program Heart to Heart For Girls Only to tens of thousands of families in Seattle, Pittsburgh, at Lucile Packard in Palo Alto, and throughout the Puget Sound region.  Julie has also written and presented a health curriculum on decision making for middle and high school students.  She is a well respected and popular speaker on a wide range of parenting issues, is a nurse consultant at Seattle Children’s and the parent of three adolescent children.  Julie and her colleague Dr. Rob Lehman are co-founders of Great Conversations – focused on health education for families.