Want to Make a Difference in a Child's Life? Be a Mentor.
On the heels of the 9th annual Friends for Youth Mentoring Conference, returning columnist Sarah Kremer reminds us that anyone can be a mentor -- you might even already be one and not know it. "All adults have the potential to act in a mentoring role to the young people they know in their own communities. Even if you don’t have time to be in a formal program, you still can be a mentor," Kremer writes. Read Sarah Kremer's column on mentoring>>

Did you miss last month's column on how to survey preteens? Read it here.

Next Preteen Luncheon: 'It's Never too Early to Talk about Alcohol and Drugs'
 Space is filling up fast, so register now for our next preteen luncheon, Monday, March 3, in Redwood City. At this free event, David Mineta and his colleagues from Asian American Recovery Services will share data and personal experiences to underscore why it's so important to talk to preteens about alcohol and drug use. For more information and to register, visit http://events.lpfch.org.

Working with Challenging Behavior
Through group discussions and role-play activities, participants in this Sports4Kids workshop will learn how to manage children who require a more structured environment. Friday, Feb. 15, in Milpitas.
http://www.kidscal.org/event/204204

'Martial Play' for Kids Ages 7-12
This combination martial arts-social skills training sponsored by Kaiser Permanente will focus on anger management and conflict resolution. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in Redwood City.
http://www.kidscal.org/event/203268

Find more preteen events on kidscal.org: http://www.kidscal.org
Add your events to kidscal.org: http://www.lpfch.org/cgi-bin/calendar/admin.cgi

If you have information about preteen events or activities for the next newsletter, please send it to preteens@lpfch.org.




Girls Reaching Puberty Sooner, Research Shows
Puberty among girls is starting at an earlier age than ever before, experts say, and is now considered normal beginning at age 8. Experts are unsure what has caused the shift, but say chemicals in the environment, stress, and increasing rates of childhood obesity could be factors. Doctors say it is unclear whether earlier puberty will have long-term health effects, but it has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-puberty21jan21,0,892400.story?coll=la-home-middleright

The Preteen Alliance promotes the emotional and behavioral health of preteens by using information to raise public awareness and inform regional action, with an emphasis on Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The Alliance has more than 1,200 members, and is guided by a two-county steering committee. For more information, see http://www.preteenalliance.org/about.html.

Also on preteenalliance.org:

  • News and Research About Preteens: Find recent news and research commissioned by the foundation regarding preteens, as well as links to other relevant research.
  • Resources and Services: Preteenalliance.org's resources page links to websites and services on topics affecting preteens.

If you have questions about The Alliance or want to include information in the next edition of The Preteen Post, reply to this e-mail or call us at (650) 724-5778.

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