Simple question

Why does media have to suck teens and children into their un realistic idea's that everyone has to skinny, sexual, popular, and most of all telling them THEY  have to be what they (media) want them to BE?

Does anyone have experience with tutoring or similar school intervention?  I don't know much about Oxford & Sylvan tutoring.  I have a bit of experience with a private tutor, but I'll say that I'm not blown away by it.  What options exist?  What works?  Anyone know of an "ON-switch" for my kid?

Last weekend, as Manitobans commemorated the life of Louis Riel, I joined a youth gathering (named Zeebu) in Portage la Prairie and sang a fair bit of Our Lady Peace.

Their song “Innocent,” for example, with its compelling line “But it all seems so contagious, not to be yourself and faceless.” With over 80 inspiring United Church young adult leaders and youth helping one another be themselves, I saw powerful inoculation against “contagious facelessness.”

This popped up on another thread so I am starting a new thread,

I know what works for one does not always work for another. So what rules do you have for your teenagers in the home or what rules do you forsee you will have when your pre teens are older.

Let's here them.

This issue has arisen again with a child of a friend.  Drug use in the parents home. 

how do you handle it?

Is it a big deal?

Do you kick out kids?  Ground them?  ignore it?

The situation is complicated by the fact that another child committed suicide a few months back while using drugs.  It then becomes a parents worst nightmare.

So, I am curious with folks here.

What age did you let your kids go out without you?

When did they (or you) decide it was time to stop going out?

What alternatives do you have?

Also, comment if you would on the trend in some US cities (haven't heard of it in Canada), to schedule Hallowe'en by neighbourhood / region...so that some kids go out on say, the last Saturday in october, and others, the 2nd last...etc.