|
|
Today's
Parental Plight
Let's face it! Parenting today is complex, challenging and can be
downright intimidating. And, the rules of the game have definitely
changed. Not long ago, parents had to call out into the street at
the end of the day to get their kids back into the house. Today,
it is next to impossible to get most kids outside of the house at
all. Sadly, American children are getting less exercise, eating
worse, adopting at risk behaviors at alarming rates and, for the
first time, they have a shorter life expectancy than their
parents.
In many cases, children are making life-altering choices through
the pressures of outside influence – peer groups, media and music
celebrities - and without the support of their parents and family.
In some cases, these crucial decisions are being made without the
parents even being aware of what is being considered. And, making
the wrong choices can lead to a lifetime of consequence!
The direction in
which some of today's youth are headed is alarming. There are
many alarming statistics concerning the increasing rate of
adoption of at risk behaviors for teen and pre-teen age groups.
The news and media are filled with stories highlighting the
trials and tribulations of children dealing with the backlash of
making poor and uniformed life decisions. At Backyard Drills®, we
consider these "missed coaching assignments". Below are some
alarming statistics that show the consequences of missed coaching
assignments.
- As of 2003, 30.3% of 8th
graders had used some form of illegal and illicit drugs. This
was true for 44.9% of the students in the 10th
grade. And by the 12th grade, over 52% had used
some form of illegal and illicit drugs.
- According to the latest
Federal figures, the percentage of children from ages 6 to 11
who are overweight has tripled in the last 10 years. In this
age group alone, kids are 20% to 30% heavier than they were a
decade ago.
- Today, as many as 1 in 7
kids are obese. These kids are more than twice as likely to
have high blood pressure and heart disease. Due to poor eating
and nutritional habits, there are an increasing number of
children with Type 2 (or non-insulin-dependant) diabetes.
These children are at higher risk of severe ailments such as
blindness, nerve damage, kidney failure and cardiovascular
disease.
- The rate of alcohol use is
up amongst both teen and pre teens and the negative effects of
this trend are undeniable and alarming. Alcohol kills five
times more teenagers than all other drugs combined (usually
through automobile accidents)! In the last thirty days 50% of
teenagers report drinking within the last 30 days with 32%
admitting being drunk on at least one occasion.
- Nicotine is considered the
number one entrance drug into other substance abuse problems.
Research shows that teens between 13 and 17 years of age who
smoke daily are more likely to use other drug substances. More
than 6,000 persons under the age of 18 years try their first
cigarette each day. Additionally, more than 3,000 persons
under the age of 18 years become daily smokers every day!
- Lastly, teenage pregnancy
continues to occur at an alarming rate. Nationally, nearly one
million young women under age 20 become pregnant each year.
That means close to 2800 teens get pregnant each day.
Approximately 4 in 10 young women in the U.S. become pregnant
at least once before turning 20 years old.
Many, if not all, of the
aforementioned at risk behaviors can be avoided through the
support of a family member or parent and the reduction of idle,
non-productive time. Through replacing idle time and isolation
with a commitment to something that is of interest to the child,
parents can build relationships and set examples that will
eliminate missed coaching assignments!
Something must be done to stop the rate at which some of today's
youth are adopting at risk behaviors and to eliminate missed
coaching assignments. Now, with Backyard Drills®, you
are in a position to do it!
Note: For complete
information and more statistics on the rate of adoption and
consequences of at risk behaviors, please see the following
reports and URLs:
Facts in Brief: Teen Sex and Pregnancy, The Alan Guttmacher
Institute, New York, 1996).
http://parentingteens.about.com/od/tobaccouse/
http://www.teendrugabuse.us/teensmoking.html
http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/fb_teen_sex.html
http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/diseases/obesity.html |
