Points to Consider about TV Show "13 Reasons Why", by Dr. Greg Allen

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Points to Consider about TV Show "13 Reasons Why", by Dr. Greg Allen

Many kids and adults have heard of the show “13 Reasons Why” (2017) released on Netflix. The show is based on a bestselling novel called 13 Reasons. Both the show and book are about a teen girl's retrospective look at reasons why she committed suicide, which she articulates in audio tapes and mails to 13 people on the day of her death. The book/show includes graphic discussion of rape, underage drinking, sexism, and survivor's guilt.

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Let's Stop the College Madness!, by Helen Codron

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Let's Stop the College Madness!, by Helen Codron

I’m the mother of two young adults, and I remember college admissions madness well: When my kids were seniors, we were consumed with anxiety about coming college admissions decisions. When they were juniors, we were in the middle of the SAT/ACT prep and test-taking grind. Sophomore spring was spent debating just how many “rigorous” classes they could cram into their junior year schedules and just how little sleep they needed; maybe a zero period WAS doable! 

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Confessions of a Reformed Helicopter Mom

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Confessions of a Reformed Helicopter Mom

Greetings to all you SBFC parents out there! I have a difficult confession to make: I once was a helicopter parent. In my defense, ten years ago when my husband’s and my two oldest kids were teens, books with titles like, How to Raise an Adult, Grit, and The Gift of a Skinned Knee, did not dominate the parenting sections of bookstores across the country, or make the top of the New York Times Best Sellers list...

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The Strand Family Shares Their Story, Part 3

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The Strand Family Shares Their Story, Part 3

Cyndi Strand of Manhattan Beach shares with SBFC the tragic story of her son Justin's ongoing struggle with addiction, and ultimately, his death in January of this year. "So now I find myself at my final chapter of my blog about our family and the demons of drugs.  The havoc that is brought into the family: the fear, the sadness, the anger, and the bewilderment is paralyzing.  I will briefly continue the story of our descent into the abyss of drug addiction  and then offer you my thoughts looking back."

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Thoughts on the Brock Turner Case, by Franca Stadvek

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Thoughts on the Brock Turner Case, by Franca Stadvek

So much swirling in my head over the Stanford swimmer rape case. So many social and moral issues all wrapped into one tragic story. I find myself embarrassed and guilty because when I read about the case months ago and saw the headline, "Stanford, Olympic hopeful, rape" I thought to myself,  how very sad...that poor boy's life is ruined, a stupid mistake. I didn't really give much thought or pay attention to the rest of the story. How very wrong. 

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The Strand Family Shares Their Story, Part 2

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The Strand Family Shares Their Story, Part 2

Cyndi Strand of Manhattan Beach shares with SBFC the tragic story of her son Justin's ongoing struggle with addiction, and ultimately, his death in January of this year. "What is interesting to me as I look back to the high school years, is that I remember thinking that every family I knew was completely ‘normal’ and that my family was not. I felt so alone as we started our struggle with a child who was experimenting with drugs.  I didn’t want to share with anyone this ‘ugly thing’ taking hold in my otherwise ‘normal’ home.  So, as in our case, we attempted to deal with it on our own, quietly."

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Parenting Tips from Jonathan Scott, by Sandi Gleason

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Parenting Tips from Jonathan Scott, by Sandi Gleason

I recently attended a MCHS Families Connected event, a presentation by Jonathan Scott of Miles to Go Drug Education. He firmly believes that the majority of teens want to please their parents and that by following a few key steps, parents can dramatically reduce the likelihood that their teens will be harmed by drug and alcohol use. So what are those steps?

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Let's Stop the March College Madness, by Helen Codron

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Let's Stop the March College Madness, by Helen Codron

For those of us with students in the middle of the college admissions process, March Madness has a whole new meaning! If you’ve got a senior, you're consumed with worry about coming college admissions decisions, all of which are released by April 1. I’d like to offer a different perspective, one based on my own children’s experiences and the experiences of the many students I’ve college-counseled over the years. 

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Joan Jenkins and the MB Juvenile Diversion Program - Looking Out for Our Kids

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Joan Jenkins and the MB Juvenile Diversion Program - Looking Out for Our Kids

I recently found out that kids who get arrested in Manhattan Beach for a misdemeanor, like having a party where minors are served or using a fake ID, are given the chance to be diverted from the juvenile court system to the office of Manhattan Beach City Prosecutor, Joan Stein Jenkins...

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