Previous events
Teenage Forum
The book recommended by Jonnie Leach in his talk during the last school year, “Back to the Brink” is ‘Whatever! A down to-earth guide to parenting teenagees’ by Gill Hines and Alison Baverstock. (Publ.Piatkus 2008 ISBN 978-0-7499-2723-3)
Thursday 9 March 2006
18:30 – 21:00
Great Hall
Nearly 200 parents and staff from CLS and CLSG attended the CLS Teenage Forum on 9th March. Peter Hindley (CLSG & CLS parent) and Rachel Pick fielded numerous questions on mental health and behaviour, with Joan St John (CLS parent) contributing from her experience as a GP, supplemented by Trevor Stammers (GP/ sexual health specialist). John Henden (recent CLS old boy) and Melissa Baxter (substance abuse expert) warned that the danger from alcohol is undoubtedly greater than drugs, and Zeller Pimlott (CLS parent) advised on nutritional issues. The light touch of our chair, Quentin Peel (CLS parent) ensured the evening was informative but lively.
Useful contacts and reading materials CLS Teenage Forum:
Suggested by Melissa Baxter
www.drugs.gov.uk this has all the recent white papers around drug policies.
Frank, National drugs help line:0800776600
They also have meetings around London. Ring the help line: 07940503438
Drinkline 0800 917 8282 (Mon-Fri 9.00am to 11.00pm; Sat, Sun 6.00pm to 11.00pm)
For parents:
Families Anonymous 08451200660
www.raisingkids.co.uk
There are also services such as Parents Against Drug Abuse (PADA)and Adfam (020 79288898) and Famfed but these services are mainly for harder drugs although they have very good support networks and information for families.
Suggested by Peter Hindley
www.youngminds.org.uk – They have a helpline specifically for parents and young people with concerns.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has useful information sheets for parents and young people about specific problems.
Suggested by Rachel Pick
YoungMinds Parents’ Information Service: Freephone 0800 018 2138 Web www.youngminds.org.uk
Parentline: Freephone 0808 800 2222 Web www.parentlineplus.org.uk
Trust for the Study of Adolescence: Phone 01273 693 311 Email info@tsa.uk.comWeb www.tsa.uk.com
‘Supporting Teenagers’ written by Child Psychotherapist Rachel Pick, one of the ‘Understanding Childhood’ series of leaflets ,can be viewed and printed free from www.understandingchildhood.net
Suggested by Zeller Pimlott
For general information from the Food Standards Agency about healthy eating for teenagers (written for parents):
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/children/yourteen/
For information written for the teenagers themselves, such as “What is a healthy weight?” and “Food on the Run” (but also containing some useful information for parents) :
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/teens/
For lists of how much of each fruit and vegetable counts as one portion towards the 5-A-Day:
http://www.5aday.nhs.uk/WhatCounts/PortionSizes.aspx
For information on eating disorders:
Eating Disorders Association
103 Prince of Wales Road
Norwich NR1 1DW
Adult helpline: 0845 634 1414
Youth helpline: 0845 634 7650
Website: http://www.edauk.com/
For a summary of the Sodexho School Meals and Lifestyle Survey 2005: http://www.sodexho.co.uk/
Suggested by Dr St John
www.playingsafely.co.uk – is an NHS site with information about use of condoms, details of local clinics, frequently asked questions and more.
www.teenagehealthfreak.com – is a site run by Dr Ann McPherson, it has lots of useful information in a “teenage friendly” format about anything from weight to acne
www.dh.gov.uk – the Department of health website allows access to the National Service framework for children and young people, There is a parents version of the NSF which can be downloaded.
Suggested by Dr Trevor Stammers
Dr Stammers is a webdoctor for www.loveforlife.org.uk on its subsidiary site for teenagers, which is clearly linked from the main site. This is a good safe place for questions to be mailed anonymously.
The Romance Academy well known through the BBC series No Sex Please We’re Teenagers is now going national and its site www.romanceacademy.org is worth a look.
Finally from the USA www.medinstitute.org is a superb site with a lot of reference material.
Books
Nick Page & Steve Chalke – Sex Matters, Hodder & Stoughton
Dave Bull – Cool and Celibate, Element Books
Dr Stammers – Saving Sex, Damaris Publishing (out on 1 st May) see: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1904753140/qid%3D1141735958/026-0003048-4053255
General
If you have a problem that is not appropriate to raise with your son’s form tutor or head of year, please contact Aidan Tolhurst, Second Head and in overall charge of pastoral care at CLS.
If you would like to discuss any matter confidentially with a parent, please contact Deborah Dorrance-King (0797 4431348 or deborahdorrance@hotmail.com).