According to an article in Medical News Today, there was a new study posted in the journal Child Development that shows "teenagers with close friendships tend to be more adaptive to stress, report being happier due to an increased feeling of uniqueness, and are likely to do better academically. Additionally, they have high self-esteem and are more assertive." This probably isn't earth-shattering news to you, because I'm sure adults could say, "SAME." Human beings have a better quality of life, feel more hopeful, connected and a sense of purpose when they are in healthy relationships--romantic, family, friends, etc.

Over the last five years, I've had the honor to work with youth who have been victims of human trafficking, and a key to both helping to prevent victims and a key to healing is healthy relationships. It's such a significant part of our lives, and yet is also one of the most complicated and potentially hurtful parts of our lives as well. My hope is to talk a little bit about what healthy/unhealthy relationships have to do with human trafficking and how you, as a parent, can engage with your teen on this topic.

A school board in southeast Tennessee recently decided to remove the Pulitzer-prize winning Holocaust graphic novel "Maus" from its language arts curriculum, deeming its content unsuitable for eighth-grade students. Another local school district outside of Nashville decided to remove the book "Walk Two Moons" from its elementary curriculum following parental complaints about its content. These two decisions have received national attention, stirring controversy about what content is appropriate for students to read, when, why, and who is responsible for making those decisions.

The notion of "school choice" is not a new one, but discussions around it are perhaps increasing in a new way. It seems to be that when a particular pattern or way of being is interrupted or disrupted, this creates a natural pause and cause for re-thinking the 'status quo.' This is perhaps the case with the education system in the United States in the present moment. The traditional education system in the US (and around the world) was fully disrupted in 2019.

Since that time, many new conversations and considerations have surface among educators, administrators, educational advocates, legislators, and parents. Rather than being able to maintain "school as usual," this has been a time to question on a deeper level: what are the needs of the modern learner, what is the best way to deliver meaningful education opportunities to students in our day and age, is the traditional school model the most effective way of teaching and learning? For parents, the questioning is on a much more personal level: what truly is the best educational approach for my children?