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Parent Up Insights
We share practical, up-to-date information to help parents tackle difficult issues with their children around underage drinking, drug use, mental health, and more. Together we can create positive outcomes for our children!
We Can Knock Out Teen Vaping For Good. Here’s How.
As adults, helping our teens make good choices can sometimes feel like stepping into the boxing ring, facing off against the challenges that threaten their …
Deadly Pills in the Northland: Time to Take Action
Law enforcement in our area are seeing deaths among Northland teens and young adults linked to pills that appear to be prescription pills or legitimate …
A Letter to the Parents of Our 2023 High School Graduates
Dear Parents and Guardians, Graduation is upon us and it’s time to celebrate your child’s accomplishments and achievements! As you prepare to launch your child …
Making the Most of Dinners with Your Teen
Dr. Anne Fishel is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at the Harvard Medical School and the Director of the Family and Couples Therapy Program …
Legal Weed is Now in Missouri – Here’s How You Can Help Ensure Kids Stay Drug-Free
With legal marijuana now being sold and marketed in our community, it’s more important than ever that we protect youth from early experimentation. The adolescent …
Keeping Our Kids Merry & Bright
It’s the holiday season and here at Parent Up, we are intentionally celebrating the joy, creativity and resilience of area youth. We also celebrate YOU, …
How Medicine Safety Can Save Kids’ Lives Now and in the Future
In light of the opioid epidemic and with fentanyl already in our communities, it’s more important than ever to teach our younger kids about medication safety. …
Discreet and Sweet: Steering Kids Clear of Fruity Nicotine Gum, Tablets, & Pouches
There’s a new trend with teens, especially among those who have tried smoking or vaping: New fruity nicotine gums, tablets, pouches, and lozenges. Popular brands …
Underage Drinking: It’s on Us to Protect Kids
by Parent Up Staff As adults we have the opportunity, and the obligation, to do everything we can to make sure our young people have …
Making the Most of Dinners with Your Teen
Dr. Anne Fishel is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology at the Harvard Medical School and the Director of the Family and Couples Therapy Program …
How To Talk To Your Teen About Marijuana (And Actually Get Somewhere!)
As legislation and public attitudes about marijuana (or cannabis) shift, it can be a tricky topic to address with teens. Yet, teens who have conversations …
Giving Devices a Seat…Away From the Table
Have you noticed that at Parent Up, we ARE OBSESSED with encouraging families to sit down and eat meals together?! Why the bias? Well, it’s …
Marijuana: Risky Business for Young Brains
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 38% of high school youth have used marijuana at some point in their lives. In this same …
An Open Letter to My Son about Drinking
When my now 22-year-old son, who will be a senior in college next year, was entering 10th grade, I started getting a lot of questions …
Fentanyl in the Northland: What We Can Do
Kim Downs is a lifelong Kansas City North resident and has been a licensed school social worker in the area for nearly 20 years. She …
Drawing Boundaries for Safe, Healthy Kids
Diane Pickert is a Community Prevention Specialist at Tri-County Mental Health Services in Kansas City, MO. Her background education is in Early Childhood Development, Communication, …
The Magic of Family Meals
How has family meal time changed for you this year? Has your family had to adapt to new school and work schedules, making it harder …
What We Want Every Parent to Know
There’s yard signs, news headlines, and lawsuits buzzing around us. No, we are not talking about the election. We’re talking about medical marijuana. In 2018, …
High-Performing Kids and Mental Wellness: The Tightrope Walk
We humans are good at finding patterns. This evolutionary benefit has kept us alive longer than the dinosaurs, but it’s not foolproof. Sometimes, these patterns …
7 Things to Consider As You Send Your Child Back to School
What a difficult time this is to be thinking about back to school! Not only do you need to prepare your child for going to …
The Results are In! New 2020 Data and Looking to the Future
Local Data on Substance Use Declines The Missouri Student Survey is conducted on even-numbered years and tracks risky behaviors of students in grades 6-12 attending …
What are We Teaching Our Kids?: How to be a positive role model when it comes to alcohol
“Role Modeling is one of the most powerful tools you have in your parenting tool belt to influence the direction of your children’s character, whatever …
We Are Supposed to Feel: Parenting During COVID-19
This month, Sonya Richardson-Thomas, a Licensed Professional Counselor, gives practical tips and tools for parents as they work to extend grace and acceptance during the …
4 Parenting Trends For 2020
New year, new trends! As we enter a new decade, here are some parenting trends and movements you might see in 2020. Mental Health Transparency …
Secrets Versus Privacy
With teenagers on their road to expanding independence, a parental grip must somewhat loosen. The balance between being present and involved, and allowing our kids …
6 Warning Signs Your Child Has Been Vaping
Vaping –or the use of e-cigarettes– is a dangerous trend that has been rising in popularity among youth. In fact, a 2019 report by the …
The Power of Grandparents in Preventing Underage Drinking
Children often hold a special place in their hearts and minds for grandparents. Oftentimes, they feel like they’re able to have open conversations with their …
8 Warning Signs That Your Child Has Been Drinking
We’ve identified 8 few common changes in your kid’s physical appearance and behavior that may be warning signs that they have been drinking.
Alcohol Advertising – How It Influences Youth Perceptions on Drinking
Advertising is everywhere, and alcohol-related advertising is no exception. In 2011 alone, 14 major alcohol marketers spent a whopping $3.45 billion on advertising.
The Secret Sauce of De-stressing
Children get stressed when they experience simple frustrations, such as getting a bad grade, and when big things happen, like when someone they love dies. As parents, we know we can’t prevent our children from experiencing stress, but we can be a buffer from stress rather than a creator or cause of stress.
Top Apps Parents Should Know About In 2019
As a parent, it can feel impossible to keep up with our children, especially when it comes to apps. Here are some of the top apps you should know about as a parent.
What To Do If You Find Out An Adult Is Providing Alcohol
The alarming truth is that kids in the Kansas City Northland rarely get alcohol from retailers; it’s usually from older friends or family. In a survey conducted in 2018, 62.2% of adolescents claimed to have acquired alcohol through a friend, while 41.6% stated that they got alcohol through family members.
Alcohol and the Teen Brain
The brain is not fully developed until at least the mid-twenties with the adolescent years being a crucial period in brain development. Learn why teenagers are more vulnerable to alcohol, the impact alcohol has on the teen brain, and what you can do as a parent to prevent underage drinking.
Welcome to the Parent Up Blog
At Parent Up, our mission is to prevent underage drinking in the Northland through equipping parents with facts, resources and tools. The aim of our new blog is to provide practical, up-to-date information about parenting from local experts and parents like you.
