Bethany Christian School hosted an informational parenting seminar. After enjoying the comedic stylings of Dede Lomenick, the audience heard presentations from Sam Kastensmidt, Dede Hunter, and Julie Brasington. To review the slideshow presentation, please click here. 

Attendees were provided with the book 12 Huge Mistakes Parents Can Avoid: Leading Your Kids to Succeed in Life written by Dr. Tim Elmore.

SUMMARY: Sociologists are becoming increasingly alarmed by the stunning increase in mental health issues among young people. Over the past decade, as young people venture into college and adulthood, they are crumbling under the pressures associated with independent life in the real world. The number of diagnosed anxiety disorders has skyrocketed. Though suicide rates are climbing in all demographic categories, the suicide rate among teenage girls has doubled in the past decade alone. Rates of loneliness and depression are venturing into unprecedented territory. With the urgency of this growing mental health crisis, researchers have raced to identify the causes behind these trends. Study after study has pointed to two chief culprits: (1) the inundation of technology at young ages and (2) the trend of over-parenting. 

To read more about the potential pitfalls of technology and "over-parenting," please read the following articles.

Psychology Today: "Why Are Today's College Students So Emotionally Fragile?"

Psychology Today: "Ten Reasons Teens Have So Much Anxiety Today"

TED Talk (video): "How to Raise Successful Kids without Over-Parenting"

Atlantic Magazine: "Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?"

TIME Magazine: "We Need to Talk About Kids and Smartphones"

TIME Magazine: "You Now Have a Shorter Attention Span Than a Goldfish"