The Wise Young Man's Guide to Being a Teenager

Depending on who you ask, the time between age 12 and age 20 is the best time of any boy or girls life. There are a lot of great things to be discovered in that time frame. Those who enjoy it most are the ones who easily make adjustments to inevitable setbacks. Those who don't should probably heed my wisdom.

Teen Tip: Never pass on a party.
We have this really important test comming up, and I need to study extremely hard this time. I don't feel well this week. I don't think my parents would appove...If you or anyone else uses any of those excuses, there should be a few atomic wedgies in the not too distance future with your name on it.

Just go to the party. If your grades were slipping before the invite came your way, no need to buckledown and sacrifice fun for this week. Find a healthy balance between goofing off and working. It can be done. It will be done. if you fail to show up, the party'll still happen without you. Nobody wants to hear "Dude, you should have been there!"

Teen Tip: Stop Snitching.
School athority figures don't need to know each and every little thing that happens on campus when they aren't looking. Don't tattle on people unless you wan't be exiled and alone.

losing friends left and right? Seeing people point at you and laugh from a distance? Which things were back to the way they used to be, when people would walk up to you and laugh instead? Stop being the residential whistle blower. If you don't want everyone else cheating off you in class, stop flaunting your intellect so much, and get a C+ every once and a while.

Teen Tip: Know your role.
Here's the deal: Just take a deep breath and get over yourself. It's normal for teens to have friction with their parental units. You're just not aware yet that they are looking out for your best interests, and are pretty much in right more than 75% of the time.

Hurts to admit my folks were right, but they were. I'd never let them know though. My pride won't allow myself to make them smile as much as they probably would If I said that to their faces. I'm thinking an email every once and a while, one word at a time, would work wuite nicely.

Teen Tip: Socialize.
You can't make new friends without being friendly. Those two things go hand and hand. It's probably why the word friendly has friend in it. Is your social life less than stellar? I suggest reading How To Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. It's a wonderful self-help manual designed to de-shyify anyone who reads and practicing the teachings inside.