When Jordan Prince was nine, his mom broke the news.

“Up to that point, I had not expressed to him that I was a lesbian,” says Lisa Prince.

Jordan’s reaction? No big deal.

“We build it up and we buld it as being very ‘oh my gosh, I’m going to come out to my child as a lesbian, what’s he going to think?’… but it was unbelievably easy,” says Ms. Prince, “He’s always been comfortable using he terms ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’.”

Jordan says he’s still fine with it… but realizes as he goes out in the world… the reaction may not always be positive.

“I’m afraid a lot of people are going to be looking at my mom and others and thinking that ‘they’re not right,’ and that’s not true,” he says.

Experts say adolescence for a child of a gay parent can be especially tough.

“You have a dual adjustment situation where a child is struggling to adjust to their own sexuality and to come to more adult terms about their parents sexuality, and on top of that, they’re trying to adjust to their peer group,” says Dr. Cathy Blusiewicz, an adolescent psychologist.

And what peers think and say can mean everything to a teenager.

“One difficulty of adolescence is that real desire to fit in and to be like everybody else,” says Dr. Blusiewicz.

Experts say support groups for children of gay parents can help your child meet other kids in the same situation.

“It’s comforting not to feel like you’re the only one,” says Dr. Blusiewicz.

By Larry Eldridge, Jr.
CWK Network, Inc.

Experts who researched critical thinking in a study for the American Philosophical Association determined that critical thinkers will approach problems and situations in certain ways. They are likely to display …

• Clarity in stating the question or concern being discussed.
• Orderliness in working with complexity.
• Diligence in seeking relevant information.
• Reasonableness in selecting and applying criteria.
• Care in focusing attention on the concern at hand.
• Persistence through difficulties encountered.
• Precision to the degree permitted by the subject and the circumstances.

By Larry Eldridge, Jr.
CWK Network, Inc.

Teenagers and young children are constantly bombarded by differing opinions on a variety of topics. It is perhaps more important now than ever for children to develop critical-thinking skills so they will be able to wade through the various messages they hear throughout their lives. Sharon Ferrett, the author of Peak Performance, has developed a list of qualities a critical thinker possesses. According to Ferrett, a critical thinker …

• Asks pertinent questions.
• Assesses statements and arguments.
• Is able to admit a lack of understanding or information.
• Has a sense of curiosity.
• Is interested in finding new solutions.
• Is able to clearly define a set of criteria for analyzing ideas.
• Is willing to examine beliefs, assumptions and opinions and weigh them against facts.
• Listens carefully to others and is able to give feedback.
• Sees that critical thinking is a lifelong process of self-assessment.
• Suspends judgment until all facts have been gathered and considered.
• Looks for evidence to support assumption and beliefs.
• Is able to adjust opinions when new facts are found.
• Looks for proof.
• Examines problems closely.
• Is able to reject information that is incorrect or irrelevant.

In addition, according to Dean Facione, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University, children who tend to be good critical thinkers will ask questions like these:

• “I hate talk shows where people just state their opinions but never give any reasons at all.”
• “Figuring out what people really mean by what they say is important to me.”
• “I always do better in jobs where I’m expected to think things out for myself.”
• “I hold off making decisions until I’ve thought through my options.”
• “Rather than relying on someone else’s notes, I prefer to read the material myself.”
• “I try to see the merit in other people’s opinions, even if I reject them later.”
• “Even if a problem is tougher than I expected, I’ll keep working on it.”
• “Making intelligent decisions is more important than winning arguments.”

Family Pride of the South
Ariadne’s Thread
The Fallacy Files

The suburbs are quiet and peaceful, the city loud and dangerous. Does that stereotype also apply to the kids who grow up there?

“They think that we’re more exposed to things like drug and sex and things like that,” says 17-year-old William Long, who lives in the city.

“And like we’ve been exposed to more of the city culture that’s rougher,” adds 18-year-old Alex McGlynn, also an urbanite.

“I hate saying it but maybe that’s more of their lifestyle, maybe it’s more of that,” says 18-year-old suburbanite, Eric Trice.

“In the suburban area you’re kind of sheltered and not exposed to it,” adds 17-year-old Kaycee Hoyt, who also lives in a suburb.

Are city kids more likely to drink, smoke, do drugs, have sex, steal and fight than kids who live in the suburbs? According to a survey of 11,000 teenagers by the Manhattan Institute, the answer is ‘No.’

“It makes sense,” says sociologist Wendy Simonds, Ph.D. “It doesn’t surprise me at all. I don’t think that suburban kids are that different.”

Experts say in today’s culture, with television, the Internet and sprawling metro areas, trends, both good and bad, travel at light speed – and don’t stop at the city limits.

“The boundaries between suburb and city are just not necessarily firm boundaries,” says Dr. Simonds.

“It’s not really the place, it’s the kids and their upbringing, I would say,” says city kid Christin Gibson, 17.

Experts agree. The most important ingredient in a safe and healthy childhood isn’t political geography – it is parents.

“I think what really make a difference is how much time they spend in adult supervision,” says Dr. Simonds, “. And I think kids all over often have a lot of time to themselves and that’s when they’re likely to do things they wouldn’t do if their parents are around.”

By Larry Eldridge, Jr.
CWK Network, Inc.

While the differences between lifestyles of teenagers living in suburban versus urban areas may not be as great as has been believed in the past, there is one area statistics show that still remains very different – the homeless population. Recent statistics have shown the following.

• Compared to homeless individuals from other areas, the suburban homeless as a group are predominantly female. Homeless rural individuals include greater shares of Native Americans, people aged 35 to 44, high school drop-outs and smaller shares of black non-Hispanic clients.
• A larger proportion of urban homeless (21 percent) report staying in places not meant for habitation than is true for suburban individuals (12 percent).
• Urban area homeless individuals are more likely than those from rural areas to have used a soup kitchen and a drop-in center in their lifetime The availability of these programs outside urban areas probably affects these results.
• Urban homeless are considerably poorer than other homeless individuals. Clients’ median income is $250 in urban locations and $395 in suburban areas. Also, 15 percent of urban homeless individuals report no income over the last 30 days compared to only six to seven percent in suburban areas.

By Larry Eldridge, Jr.
CWK Network, Inc.

Whether you are in a suburban or urban area, an important fact to keep in mind is that most violent crimes take place between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., which means that you need to be especially careful when going out at night. Experts have devised the following tips to help increase safety.

• Always map your route in advance, both coming and going.
• Be alert at all times. Remember that headphones and other similar items can reduce your level of awareness.
• Notice pedestrian traffic. If people start leaving an area at a certain time, maybe you should, too.
• Walk close to the street, away from shrubbery, trees and doorways. On less busy streets at night, it may be safer for you to walk in the street than on the sidewalk.
• Whenever possible, avoid shortcuts through deserted parks, vacant lots and unlit passageways.
• Whistles and other noisemakers could prove helpful in an emergency. Don’t be embarrassed to use them if you feel threatened.

If you’re going out with several children, whenever possible:

• Pair adults and children. It’s better for an adult to watch over a particular child than for all adults to try and keep track of all the children at the same time.
• Pair the children to start teaching them to look out for one another.

Other miscellaneous tips to remember include the following.

• Keep a list of credit cards numbers at home, as well as of any other items that you carry with you and would need to replace in case of loss.
• Keep the names and phone numbers of relatives and close friends with you so they can be easily notified in case of accident or emergency.
• Never discuss personal information with strangers.
• Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable in a place or situation, leave right away and get help if necessary.

American Planning Association
Smart Growth Network