Parents at BSM are very involved with their student’s high school careers; they volunteer at the Spirit Shop, keep up with their student’s homework load, and regularly check PowerSchool. On top of all this hard work, parents can also attend parent-speaker nights, such as “Kahnversations,” throughout the school year for advice on working with their children in high school.

Dr. Steve Kahn, psychologist and author of “Insightful Parenting,” works part-time for BSM and hosts four discussions each year for BSM parents to attend. These “Kahnversations” are open to all parents of junior and senior high students. “We talk about how parents can stay connected with their students even when students pull away. Picking battles [and] prioritizing the most important parts of adolescence [are also discussed]. Working with the realities of teenagers striving for autonomy [as well as] helping them establish their own identities and paths to adulthood [is important for parents],” Kahn said.

Kahn started his talks with parents in the early 1990’s. “Soon after starting to work at BSM in 1981, it became obvious that working with parents was essential to helping students. How the student is doing often follows how their relationship with parents is. When they have a lot of conflict (such as tension over day-to-day matters) there can be a decrease in the quality of the decisions the student makes,” Kahn said.

Parents gain insight about the approach to parenting by talking about many topics. BSM parent Patricia Bather has attended many of Kahn’s events. “I have learned to not respond in an emotional way when dealing with consequences and to allow the natural consequence. When your students are in tenth grade, stop doing the things that they should be doing on their own,” Bather said.

The next event Kahn will host for parents will be February 8, the talk will be about in influencing the decisions teenagers make when they are away from parents. In addition to Kahn, there are other events that educate BSM parents. On January 5, Campus Minister Mr. Mike Jeremiah will lead a discussion about leading young people to a closer relationship with God.

There will also be a senior panel, which will take place on April 12. Seniors will share their perspective on various aspects of high school life to parents, including academic pressure, college applications, dating, alcohol, and drugs. An important event for informing parents on high school life, this is the only time that students are directly involved in parent speaker nights.