Valerie Grison Blog

As parents, it is very hard to witness your teen suffer. Your reflex is either to build a shield around them or give them the solution. Think twice before letting your instinct take over. Wouldn’t it be better for your teenager to learn by himself/herself how to cope with life’s adversities? It is very difficult […]

E-cigarette usage has become a trend. Do not mistake or confuse them with smokeless cigarettes. E-cigarettes are battery powered cigarettes designed to release a nicotine vapor that looks like smoke. Though originally touted as a better option to smoking without the same carcinogens from smoking tobacco, there are now concerns regarding the chemicals ingredients and […]

While it’s true that most of our neurons have already formed by the time we’re born, that doesn’t mean our brains are finished developing. Brains don’t fully finish with development until about age 25. Only then is one’s brain considered mature. One aspect of that is that teens differ from pre-teens or adults on the […]

The years between 10 and 14 are a difficult time for children. They want the independence of their older peers, but they are at an impressionable stage of life. This is a time when they are beginning to shape their lives and starting to really become the people they will be in high school, but also […]

  Teen literature has seen a great boom in recent years. This is an encouraging trend for parents and educators. It is not merely a passing fad, but appears not only to be holding its own, but has become a powerful, profitable market niche. The explosion began with J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, and […]

A 2013 research article published in the journal Judgment and Decision Making illustrates that teens have unrealistic perceptions of potential risks. Data from over 3,400 teens was examined over a two year period, where self-risk assessments were compared to actual risk outcomes. Teens almost always reported that there was little – even no – chance […]

With 200 millions active users claimed, brands start to see Instagram as the best platform for building out a social media presence, as explained by VentureBeat. I am warning brands that target tweens and teens that Instagram is not a safe place for them, and that brands must be very careful of how they engage this […]

One of the hot tween trends is the rubber band loom, called Rainbow Loom. A well conceived tool to weave colorful rubber band jewelry. It mainly attracts girls, but I’ve heard that some boys are getting into it as well. Created in 2010, launched in 2011 from the personal website of its creator, Mr. Cheong […]

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides national and state-level data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, illicit drugs, and mental health in the United States. Its most recent report shows teen trends in substance abuse: The most popular drug among teens remains alcohol, but its use is steadily declining The use of […]

I know Method and I love Method. I have learned to trust the brand over the years because the soap works, and it is clearly made from a straightforward point of view about design, environment and health. You know Method, too: the company that packages soap in strange-shaped, but well designed bottles. The company that […]