As they get older, give your teens an opportunity to take part in setting household rules. Doing so helps them develop maturity and improves cooperation between you. Set clear expectations about appropriate behavior, but give them a voice, too. Have your children come up with a list of rules/privileges they think are fair. Create a list of your own items, too. Sit down and go over what each of you have written. For example, your teens may ask for a curfew of 9pm and a weekly allowance. You might request that they complete homework and chores daily by 7pm and make themselves available for a family game night each week. Negotiate with them to find terms on which you can all agree. If you're a single parent, you may know how stressful it is to discuss hot topics with your teens. Subjects like sex, drugs, and bullying can feel awkward to talk about. But, if you don't discuss them with your teens, you leave the door open for them to form opinions on their own. Use scenes from teen-friendly TV shows or movies to bring up these topics. Explain your expectations and encourage your teens to use good judgment. Afterwards, keep the lines of communication open so that your teens understand you are willing to talk about difficult subjects. Help your teens become well-rounded and steer them away from negative influences by supporting their passions. Teens who are driven to perform in other areas outside of school are more likely to make good decisions and avoid trouble. Help each of your teens find activities they enjoy, such as sports, music, or creative pursuits. You might do so by researching clubs or organizations at school and in the community that match your teens' interests and suggesting that they check them out. As much as your schedule allows, show up to important events and cheer them on. As a single parent, you know you cannot do every imaginable task on your own. Support your teen's development by delegating some of the responsibility. This may translate to opening a checking account to help them learn to manage money, giving them more chores than younger children, or allowing them to work part-time. They will probably make mistakes, but giving them room to make independent decisions will help them grow up. Developing trust with your teens is also important as they get older. Unless they give you good reason to hover, take a step back and respect their privacy. Have faith that you have clearly communicated your expectations and raised your children well. Avoid eavesdropping on conversations with friends, searching their rooms, or checking their phones. Only invade your teens' privacy if you suspect something is wrong (like drug or alcohol use). Your teens learn how to behave by observing you. Be sure that your own actions align with what you preach to your children. Strive to be a good role model by demonstrating a good work ethic, being a compassionate and honest friend, and making healthy lifestyle choices.

Summary: Allow your teens a voice in some of the household rules. Maintain an open dialogue about the tough topics. Encourage them to pursue their passions. Give them responsibility. Respect their privacy. Set a good example.

Phone records and call logs can be checked. Computers' browser histories can be traced. You can try erasing your call log or internet cookies and history. Some browsers also allow you to set them to "private" mode. But if you are worried that your abuser is monitoring your communication with others, you might want to find another computer or phone to use. Most public libraries offer computers with internet access to community members. This could be a good place to start. You may want to get a prepaid cellular phone. This could come in handy while looking for help and later, when you actually leave. You could also use a friend or neighbor's computer or phone. If necessary, make an excuse such as your own computer or phone being broken. Most areas have local resources to help victims of abuse. If you are not sure where to start or if you want to talk to someone about planning to leave an abusive relationship, begin with the following resources. In the US: National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233(SAFE) Men in the US can contact The Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women In the UK: Women's Aid 0808 2000 247 Men in the UK can contact ManKind Initiative In Australia: 1800Respect 1800 737 732 Men in Australia can contact One in Three Worldwide: The International Directory of Domestic Violence Agencies If you are a woman who is a victim of abuse, find a battered women's shelter in your area (or a nearby town). Be aware that the physical location of such shelters is usually kept secret for the protection of the women in the shelter, but you should be able to call a hotline or go through a screening in a physical location. Then you will be referred to the shelter. Most shelters allow for a safe place to live for both women and children. They are designed to offer safety and support while you get back on your feet, but your stay there will be for a limited amount of time. Unfortunately, many victims of abuse withdraw or are forced to become isolated. This often leads victims to believe that they have no one to help them escape their abuser. However, friends and family, even if you have been out of touch, may pull through and help you get out of a bad situation. Reach out to someone you trust and ask for help. Try to be specific with what you would like for them to do for you (such as let you stay with them, keep your "escape bag," call the police for you if you give them a "code word," etc.)

Summary: Find a secure means of seeking help. Contact an organization that can help. Find a battered women's shelter. Talk to friends or family.

Make sure that your headline and the first paragraph, in particular, communicate that your content is newsworthy. Generally, your contacts will prefer to receive news releases either by fax, mail or e-mail. Send your release the way that the publication wants it sent. Don't worry too much about finding out which exact individual you should send your release to if you don't have a lot of time. Get the person's title right, and that should be sufficient. Your release may need to coincide with an event or product launch. Otherwise, submit the release early in the week and early in the day. Choose an atypical time, such as 9:08 a.m. instead of 9:00 a.m. Doing this will keep your release from getting lost at the top of the hour. Type or paste your content directly into the body of an e-mailed press release. Many journalists delete e-mails with attachments because they take too much time to download and may contain viruses. Send your press release to 1 publication at a time or blind carbon copy (BCC) the recipients to make the news release submission seem more personal. Some outlets may prefer that you upload the press release directly to their website over a secure submission platform. Avoid sending media files over e-mail. Large files will clog an inbox and may end up in the junk mail folder. Send your contact person a link to your media through a service like Box or Dropbox. Alternatively, state that photos and videos are available upon request. Ask if the recipient has received the release and offer assistance or further information as needed.
Summary: Reread your press release and proof it for errors. Research and follow each outlet's submission guidelines. Determine the timing of your press release. Submit your press release according to the required guidelines. Add media such as photos and videos to your submission to increase your readership. Follow up with a phone call.