Ep. 70: Hangovers, Homesickness and Tattoos: tips from a university doctor when your kids start Uni

This week's guest Jill Grimes is a MD in a US college (like a university GP), so she's well placed to talk about staying healthy at university. But first we talk about popularity in school (spoiler - neither of us was in the popular gang in our teens), why even the popular people don't feel confident in school, and how that all changes when you hit university and everyone is in the same boat.  Once you get to university, being clever is cool, playing a musical instrument is impressive, and people don't judge you on what you're good at.  We also get some advice from Jill on homesickness at university, and how we can support our kids to stay (relatively) healthy while they're away from home.  Here's a breakdown of our conversation: 2:30 - Popularity at school, and rushing through things instead of enjoying them 4:15 - Please excuse my dog Rocket, the postman triggered him! 7:00 - Letting your teen go and how to prepare yourself 9:40 - Social anxiety as a teenager 15:30 - Sorting out acne as a teenager (listen to ep. 59 for more on medication for acne) 22:10 - How to handle homesickness at university. Tip 1: Don't go home in the first 6 weeks! 35:45 - What to do when you start feeling ill after Freshers 38:15 - What if your child gets a tattoo? (As an aside - how to handle piercings that won't heal). What to consider, the truth about tattoo colours, and how difficult it is to remove a tattoo. 50:30 - What to do about a cartilage piercing that won't heal Who is Jill Grimes? Jill Grimes, MD, FAAFP, is an American nationally recognized medical media expert, award-winning author, and proud mum of two daughters. After two decades of private practice in family medicine, Dr. Grimes now splits her time between writing, speaking, and seeing patients. She's currently working on the 3rd edition of her latest book, The ULTIMATE College Student Health Handbook: Your Guide for Everything from Hangovers to Homesickness! Dr. Grimes is your go-to source for everything teens & young adults (& their parents) REALLY need to know about common anxieties, illnesses, injuries and so much more! * The TikTok College Doc [https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktok.collegedoc?lang=en] * Jill Grimes MD website [https://jillgrimesmd.com/] More teenage parenting from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy [https://www.actuallymummy.co.uk/], a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/teenage-kicks-podcast/id1501488455] to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast or want to hear more on parenting teenagers contact me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamhelenwills/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/iamhelenwills] @iamhelenwills. For information on your data privacy please visit Z [https://www.podcast.co/privacy]encastr. Please note that Helen Wills is not a medical expert, and nothing in the podcast should be taken as medical advice. If you're worried about yourself or a teenager, please seek support from a medical professional. Podcast produced by James Ede at Be Heard [https://www.beheard.org.uk/] production.

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Welcome to the Teenage Kicks podcast, where we take the fear out of parenting - or becoming - a teenager. The internet is full of parenting advice, from when you feel those first baby kicks, until they reach secondary school. And then it stops. No one is talking about teen parenting problems; so we’re going to. Essential listening for teenagers and their parents, as well as those who work with young adults; Teenage Kicks has teen mental health at its core, and each episode will empower young people to tackle their own problems, and give parents the guidance to know how to help them. Each week Helen speaks to real individuals who've experienced the issues that young people are dealing with now, and they don't sugar-coat it. From exam nerves and career worries to issues around sexuality and consent, we get tips and advice from expert guests who understand what it’s like to be a teenager today. Helen will also be chatting about tough teenage problems like cyberbullying and self-harm, drugs, alcohol and teenage pregnancy, all with a heavy dose of reality from someone who's been there and made it through to the other side. Teenage Kicks for Parents: As parents, we understand some of our kids’ struggles, but let’s face it, it’s been a while, and things have moved on since we last panicked over a detention! Teenage choices today can seem alien to their parents because teenage life has changed so dramatically since we were young. Teenage Kicks helps you unravel topics like social media, sexting and teen self-esteem so that you can figure out what your child needs support with, and what’s just normal teenage behaviour.   Teenage Kicks for Teens: Teenagers and parents come at things from different angles, we know. But teenage life can be challenging, and the support of your parents can make navigating tricky dilemmas easier. Teenage Kicks guests aren’t adults who’ve read a textbook; nor are they heavily invested in your day-to-day safety, like your mum and dad. They are real people who’ve been through what you’re dealing with, and they have the inspiration and advice you need to handle it yourself. Join Helen each week as she chats to a different guest about topics affecting teenagers in 2020, and helps parents and teens to open up a dialogue that will make life easier to navigate on all sides. You'll also find me chatting about teen parenting here: * Actually Mummy [https://actuallymummy.co.uk/] - my personal blog * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamhelenwills/] * Twitter [https://twitter.com/iamhelenwills] Useful websites: * The Mix [https://www.themix.org.uk/]- good information for under 25's * Shout [https://www.giveusashout.org/] - for anyone struggling with anxiety or depression This series of the Teenage Kicks Podcast is sponsored by Blue Microphones [https://www.blue-designs.co.uk/], who gave me the fabulous Yeticaster mic for all my recordings. It's really straightforward to use, and gives me great sound quality without too much editing.