Parenting Teens: Peers, parties, partners

Dr. Lisa Sacco, a licensed psychologist with Orenstein Solutions in Cary, is back with some more tips on surviving your kids' teen years.

Today she's talking about peers, parties and partners and how parents can steer teens toward making the right decisions.

Some tips: Sacco tells me that teens should really be friends with kids their own ages. It's not OK, for instance, for a ninth grader to only hang out with seniors. Parents should make sure their kids know that it's never OK to bully or hit people or be hit or bullied. Sacco says there are distressing statistics about the number of girls and boys who are hit by their teen partners. Boys, especially, should hear that message from both mom and dad.

And Sacco says it is parents' responsibility and right to know the who, what, when and where of any of their teens' activities. If your teen is heading over to a friend's house, you should call the parents to find out what the plans are.

"Your kid will be embarrassed by it and they'll just have to get over it," Sacco tells me.

She also talks about a safety plan for teens when they're out with friends and what she calls her mom posse.

And check back here next Wednesday for a final tip from Sacco.