Vanessa Van Petten on Teens Today Exposing the Net Generation...A Gen Y Perspective on Teens and Parenting   I want to inspire young people to acheive the most out of life and show parents how to support their kids to reach their full potential...and still have a calm household.  When I was 17, I began to interview hundreds of other troubled teenagers to find out: “Why do teens rebel?” and “What can we do about it?” I got answers and realized that teens need role models, they need to be inspired and they need someone to help parents. I used my allowance to publish the advice, confessions and answers in my book: “You’re Grounded!” which is a parenting book from a teen's perspective. I am now 22, and graduated from Emory University in May of 2007, the same month “You’re Grounded!” launched along with my daily parenting blog:   VanessaVanPetten.com On my daily blog, I post articles, videos, screencasts and host live chats to offer parents a window into the daily lives of their teen and tween kids. I show parents how to talk with their screen-obsessed net generation children about everything: including safely using Facebook, smoking pot, High School dances, oral sex, and gives them my tips from actual teens. I believe that if parents don’t understand what is really going on for their kids, how can they expect to have a good relationship...or even make relevant rules?

I am now on a national speaking tour, reaching out to both parents and teenagers about how to cope and thrive as young people today. I am also working as a young parenting coach in California. My daily blog, VanesaVanPetten.com is read by hundreds of teens and parents daily. I have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the Santa Monica Daily Press, Atlanta Insite Magazine and the World Journal and have been an expert on Playboy Radio for giving a young perspective on awesome parenting. My Mission Statement: To improve parent-teen relationships by providing them with new perspectives, stories and neutral places to communicate. This will help families instill values and build strong relationships that promote healthy attitudes and lifestyle behaviors in this generation of young adults. To develop positive role models for young people. I have just launched the Beta version of my second website: rrules.com, where both parents and teens can come together in a neutral online community to write their own parenting books! Based on real tips from my users, I am also working on a webinar and workshop series on a myriad of topics for families from a younger perspective. I am selling the first generation of her original parenting products: the College Admissions Kit and School Organization Program on rrules.com.

Please take a moment to check out Vanessa's favorite articles she personally has written.  Her passion and dedication to make a difference in the lives of Teens is inspiring and motivating.  For Parents: What is Social Networking, Facebook and MySpace? 5 Tips: Get Teens Interested in Politics Warning Signs Your Teen is Doing Pot What Do Teens Today Really Worry About? The Top 5 Issues Revealed 10 Ways to Help Your Teen Tackle Any Problem 6 Steps to Lighten Your Student's Backpack Teens today are exposed to more media overload and are extremely knowledgeable far beyond where we were at their age. Take the time to listen and have compassion for what they are going through. Give them the strength to achieve the dreams they dream. --------------- For more information on Vanessa or her current projects, please visit her websites at: www.rrules.com www.VanessaVanPetten.com