The World’s Strictest Parents is a television series conceptualized and brought into fruition by Twenty Twenty Television and was originally broadcasted by BBC. The United States’ Country Music Television (CMT) and Australia’s Channel Seven both came up with their local versions of the hit TV series.
The primary concept behind the show is that two “unruly” teenagers are sent packing by their parents to live overseas with a strict host family for an entire week in an attempt to modify their heedless behavior. During the week they would receive an impact letter from their birth parents with a list of issues that they should try to correct.
In the United States, it takes on the format of a reality TV show with a running time of one hour. It was originally slated to be aired by MTV and the pilot episode was broadcasted on April 18, 2009. CMT eventually took over the show which is currently on its second season. Unlike the original series, the teenagers remained in their country and their parents came for them to evaluate their stay with the host family. In Britain, two teens leave their own family each week and lives for ten days under the roofs and rules of some of the World’s Strictest Parents. The series ventured on different locations – from Accra to Alabama, from Jaipur to Jamaica, unruly teenage Brits have experienced the discipline, educational values and uncompromising strictness of parents who have embraced the notion that enforcing firm discipline is the only way to raise a well-rounded teenager.
In the U.S., CMT features the remarkable journey of two unruly teens from different families as they are compelled to conform to the rules and regulations of their strict host parents. As they experience to live under different standards away from their own families, the ill-behaved teens will be subjected to punishment for skipping chores and breaking rules while the strict host parents try to fix their behavior.
The series tries to impart that rearing teenagers and enforcing traditional rules is no easy task. However, over time learning to live with certain limitations and enforced consequences will develop unique emotional journeys and personal turnarounds in teen behavior. Spending some time away from home enables the teenagers to reflect on how badly they treat their parents. The teenagers go through a roller-coaster of emotions and realizations – from culture shock to personal enrichment, from flare-ups and outbursts to heartrending re-unions, the teenagers experience what it’s like to live with strict rules and firm discipline – and learn to feel and appreciate the benefits.
For the second season, an all-new episode of the World’s Strictest Parents premiered on October 10 at 8:00 p.m. The regular timeslot is Saturdays at 8:00 to 9:00 p.m., ET/PT.
Today’s teenagers have been stereotyped as adventurous and harebrained individuals. They are generally fond of experimenting with things until they get in touch with drugs, sex, guns, alcohol among others. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures, 16,000 young adults die each year from unintentional injuries and accidents. The most common justification for teenagers’ care-free attitude is that their brains just aren’t developed enough to know better. However, recent research shows that in some cases the fact is just the opposite, the brain matures not too slowly but perhaps, too quickly.
According to a psychiatrist, an adolescent who engages in more dangerous activities have white-matter pathways that seem to be more mature than those of risk-averse youths. White-matter is the brain’s wiring, the neutral pathways that connect the various gray-matter regions of the cerebrum that are independent of one another. Having a mature white-matter is necessary because it allows faster brain processing speed. Nerve impulses also travel faster in mature white-matter. Experiments also reveal that the more mature the look of the brain, the more adventurous the teenager tended to be.
Another possible explanation is that some teenagers whose brains develop more rapidly than others become uncomfortable and a little confused owing to the gap between their biological capabilities and the social norms they must follow as kids. Precocious development of these neural tracts may make some adolescents more susceptible to engage in behaviors that society considers too adult in nature for their chronological age. It is also a common notion that teens make dumb decisions because their brains are immature. In other words, having a more mature brain may actually motivate some teens to try out new and potentially harmful experiences.
For now, these theories are mere speculation, and the researchers concede that the interaction of white and gray matter is so complex that hard conclusions remain elusive. The results of the study are relatively bare and by no means conclusive. The human brain is so intricate in nature, and one has to consider the fact that there are other factors that come into play such as the environment and certain genetic predispositions that are equally complex to study.
If we can only get rid of memories of traumatic events maybe it can diminish distress especially among our children and young adults. Such is not the case because we are not programmed to do so. Remembering what transpired on 9/11 can be a lot more difficult and painful especially among those who lost a loved one or for those who were directly impacted by that tragic day when terrorists struck fear and anxiety into the hearts of people from all corners of the globe. Moreover, media coverage commemorating the events in a detailed manner may heighten distress or indifference among our children.
So the question is, how can parents explain something so gruesome and traumatic to their children? Parents can’t shield their children from acquiring information about what is so significant about 9/11. It is a thing of the past but it definitely left an indelible mark in history and on the eight anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, as publication of news and photos of that tragic day find their way to our newspapers, television screens and the Internet, parents are dumbfounded about the manner on how they can explain to their children this hard and complex subject.
There are certain tips which may help all concerned parents on this particular issue. The first thing to do is to try to relax while discussing the topic. You have to consider the fact that talking about violent acts won’t increase your children’s fear any more than harbor anxiety about the unknown. Try to determine and feel what your child already knows about the event so you can somehow gauge the impact of the information you want to discuss thereby establishing the parameters of the subsequent conversation.
Try to be as transparent and honest as possible although you can opt to refrain from providing detailed information. Children are generally smart, they can sense when they are being lied to or when you’re withdrawing something from them. It’s not appropriate to eliminate your children’s fear but a thorough explanation should be given to assure them somehow that there is nothing to be afraid of as government authorities are trying to find ways to protect the nation’s citizenry against another horrible event. Just make sure that your children are interested about the flow of the conversation, otherwise it’s better to drop the topic. Your children may not yet want or need to discuss the event at this particular period but they will certainly bring it out sooner or later.
Parents ought to be very careful when discussing traumatic events to their children and young adults especially those with acts of terrorism such as 9/11 because you are not certain how they will interpret and react on such sensitive subject matters.
Some of the most popular drugs that are prescribed for kids with AD/HD unfortunately have negative side effects, this prompted a Canadian researcher to find a new and natural way of minimizing the effects of AD/HD using a substance found in green tea.
AD/HD negatively affects a child’s social and educational performance and can seriously damage his or her self-esteem. Children with AD/HD have impaired relationships with their peers, and may be looked upon as social outcasts. It is a chronic condition and can sometimes overwhelm parents when they have to deal with AD/HD characteristics on a daily basis. Thats why help is very important, it can come from someone they can trust and/or someone who has experience in mental heal health like doctors, nurses, school counselors, religious leaders and private facilities and services. Most of the help are easily available and can be found on the yellow pages and the Internet.
Here are a few links to websites that provide valuable information about AD/HD.
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) is a national advocacy organization for individuals affected by ADHD. CHADD organizes local chapters for information and support.
National Alliance for the Mental Illness (NAMI) is a national advocacy organization for those affected by mental illness in our country. NAMI provides general information and support opportunities for many mental illnesses.
National Institute of Mental Health held a consensus conference on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in November, 1998. Searching this site, you will find the consensus statement that came from the meeting.
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