The United States has a population of 328 million and 74 Million of those people are under the age of 18. Did you know that our US Census shows that 1 of every 10 persons in the United States under the age of 18 lives in Texas? So as parents, we are not alone - but sometimes it feels like it.  Social Media shows us all of the other parents are doing a “perfect” job of parenting! We see their posts about their kids and all their accomplishments - meanwhile at my house we are struggling over homework and chores, and as a parent you may feel like you are just not measuring up. Does any of this sound familiar?

We know that college is hard to imagine in the midst of a pandemic. Hear from seniors who took the plunge and successfully completed their first semester, despite the challenges they faced. They share stories about what is was like to live hundreds of miles away from home, attend classes, how LEHS teachers prepared them for college, and more!

The price for a single year at a college or university ranges from a few thousand dollars a semester, if you live at home, to as much as $40,000 or $50,000 a semester for tuition, room, and board, books and fees at some private universities. Knowing what you can afford matters of course, but there are so many ways to find money to help you pay for college. 

In Texas, over half of our high school graduates choose to go to college the first fall after graduation. Each ethnic group in the sate is gorwing in the percentage of students who choose to go to college. Hipanic HS grads increased from 44% to 53%. African-American graduates who chose college rose from 45% to 52%. White and other ethnic groups didn't change much, but are high, ranging from 59% to 75%. There are several reasons why students choose not to attend college, perhaps it is not knowing the application process or even how to pay for college. But there is help in this podcast about college applications and financial aid.

With so many students going to college, you might think it is easy to navigate the process of choosing a college or university, that finding financial aid is simple - that everyone else must be managing this process fine. But then you start the process and are quickly overwhelmed with the papers and processes and many, many details you have to handle.

Little Elm ISD’S Tuesday Talks is a podcast from Little Elm ISD that connects parents and experts on the hottest topics affecting Little Elm students and families. This month, we're discussing cyberbullying and how it is the easiest behavior to go undetected by parents. We will share tips how parents can be more in tune with their children while leading a healthy digital life.

Tuesday Talks episode is about how our children are being targeted and exploited while using social media, online gaming, and texting.  What is it parents need to know? 

Welcome to Tuesday Talks, a podcast from Little Elm ISD that connects parents and experts on the hottest topics affecting Little Elm students and families. Tuesday Talks is also an onsite in-person discussion group that meets monthly at Little Elm High School, and is hosted by Little Elm’s Intervention Counselors Adriana Beck and myself, Deborah Deverich, along with our Family Facilitator, Yamile Quintero. Every month, we will talk to an expert and bring you the information you need to know about important issues facing today’s students such as student stress, peer pressure, and being safe online.