Teen Movies (for new teens to catch up on)

My daughter wants a list of the best teen movies to watch from the 80s, 90s, 00s, and 10s, so here goes (this excludes the pure teen horror genre with some exceptions and includes some that are less appropriate for younger teens, please use your own discretion).

Tragic Stories Category
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Blackboard Jungle (1955)
West Side Story (1961)
The Last Picture Show (1971)

American Graffiti (1973)
Fast Time's at Ridgemont High (1982)
The Outsiders (1983)
Dead Poets Society (1989)

Boyz N The Hood (1991)

My Girl (1991)
Cruel Intentions (1999) (teen remake of Dangerous Liaisons)

"O" (2001) (a teen remake of Othello)

Precious (2009)

2:37 (2006)

Into the Wild (2007)

The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys (2002)

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

John Hughes Category:
Sixteen Candles (1984)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

Weird Science (1985)

Pretty in Pink (1986)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

Not John Hughes, but Rob Reiner, Nicholas Sparks, etc:

Stand By Me (1986) 

The Princess Bride (1987) (not a teen movie but a classic)
A Walk To Remember (2002)

Comedy Category:
The Goonies (1985)
Splash (1984)  (Bonus classic 80s - not a "teen" movie)
Just One Of The Guys (1985)

She's The Man (2006)
Real Genius (1985)

Secret Admirer (1985)
Can't Buy Me Love (1987)
Hairspray (original: 1988 and remake: 2007)

She's Out of Control (1989)
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Back to the Future I (1985)

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)
Dirty Dancing (1987)

License to Drive (1988)

The Night Before (1988)

Footloose (original: 1984 and remake: 2011)
The Karate Kid (original: 1984 and remake: 2010)
Better Off Dead... (1985)
One Crazy Summer (1986)

Revenge of the Nerds (1984) (college comedy classic)
Risky Business (1983)
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
Lucas (1986)

Good Burger (1997)
Say Anything... (1989)
Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead (1991)
Encino Man (1992)
Toy Soldiers (1991)

Adventure's in Babysitting (1987)
Clueless (1995)
The New Guy (2002)
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Eurotrip (2004) (more college category)
Can't Hardly Wait (1998)
Mean Girls (2004)
Empire Records (1995)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

She's All That (1999)
Drive Me Crazy (1999)

Never Been Kissed (1999)
Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Superbad (2007)

College Road Trip (2008)
Easy A (2010)

Youth in Revolt (2009)

Prom (2011)

Girl In Progress (2012)

Athletic/Performing Arts Category:
Fame (1980)
Hoosiers (1986)
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Varsity Blues (1999)
Remember The Titans (2000)
Whip It (2009)

Stick It (2006)

Bring It On (2000)

Save The Last Dance (2001)

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Center Stage (2000)

Ice Princess (2005)
Facing the Giants (2006)

American Anthem (1986)

Soul Surfer (2011)

Dark Comedy Category:
Jawbreakers (1999)
Juno (2007)
But I'm A Cheerleader (1999)
Saved! (2004)
Election (1999)
The Girl Next Door (2004)
Heathers (1988)

Sugar & Spice (2001)

Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999)

Body Swapping Category:

Like Father, Like Son (1987)

18 Again (1988)

Big (1988)

Vice Versa (1988)

Dream A Little Dream (1989)

Dating the Enemy (1996)

The Hot Chick (2002)

Freaky Friday (the remake: 2003)

13 Going On 30 (2004)

Supernatural/Fantasy Category:

My Best Friend is a Vampire (1987)

Once Bitten (1985)

Lost Boys (1987)

Teen Wolf (1985)

The Last Starfighter (1984)

The Last Airbender (2010)

Legend (1985)

Teen Witch (1989)

My Stepmother Is An Alien (1989)

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992)

Beastly (2011)

The Host (2013)

The Twilight Saga (2008-2012, five movies total)

Harry Potter movies (2001-2011, eight movies total)

Light Horror/Suspense Category:

Waxwork (1988)

The Hitcher (1986)

Disturbing Behavior (1998)

The Faculty (1989)

Ginger Snaps + sequels (2000 through 2004) 

The Craft (1996)

Battle Royale (2000)

Gossip (2000)

House at the End of the Street (2012)

Disturbia (2007)

Jennifer's Body (2009)
The Curve (also known as Dead Man's Curve) (1998) 

Idle Hands (1999)
Cursed (2005)

Inspiring Leaders Category:

To Sir, With Love (1967)
Lean on Me (1989)
Stand And Deliver (1988)
Dangerous Minds (1995)
Freedom Writers (2007)

Offbeat/Indie Category:
The Graduate (1967)

Cry-Baby (1990)

Rushmore (1998)
Water Lilies (2007)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Ghost World (2001)
Igby Goes Down (2002)
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012)

Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010)
Kick-Ass (2010)

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Disturbing and Will Make You Hug Your Kids Category:
Kids (1995)

Boys Don't Cry (1999)

Bully (2001)
American History X (1998) (not just for "teens" but they should all watch it)
Thirteen (2003)

Privacy for teens

Article from People I want to Punch in the Face

Jen wrote about her thoughts on privacy.

I have some difference of opinion.

Admittedly, my opinions are based on my own experiences as a kid though, and I asked my friends on Facebook what they thought as I was trying to figure out if I was giving too much weight to my "kid self," and not thinking like a parent enough. Also, I haven't been in the "teenage years" for my own kids for very long either. I decided that I wasn't just having a knee-jerk reaction to her beliefs, but a realizing I had a deep belief of my own: Mutual respect.

If her specific point was to be diligent and know what your kids are up to, I would agree. But she was basically asserting that in the parent to child relationship, the parent should say: "I own you" and every thing that you do, I have a right to access. But the way I see it, you are raising people. Someday, they will be people living outside of your home and realm of influence. You don't get to march into their homes when they are living on their own and go through their cabinets and demand their passwords to their online accounts. And there has to be a transition between teenage and adulthood. They have to be given responsibility and respect or their entire existence will be about rebelling.

I really hope this entry doesn't make it  to my mom's attention, because I don't want to hurt her feelings, but I remember her taking a diary from me when she caught me writing in it after she and I had a fight. She read it specifically because she thought I was writing about her. I wasn't. I was also upset over something that had happened in school, where I had said something mean to a boy and felt bad and was describing it. She then yelled at me and I got grounded because of what she read. As a kid, did I feel like sharing with her anything that happened to me again? Certainly not. She gained the information in a rather militant way, she did not ask me any questions about the incident or have a talk with me, and she decided I needed punishment when I was already feeling guilty. So, I stopped writing anything about real life in my diaries for years. Just because you think, as a parent, that you are IN CHARGE AND GETTING ALL THE INFO doesn't mean you are. There will always be a website they can hide because they learn how or an app that erases what is uploaded for you automatically. Kids who want to hide something WILL find a way.

I agree with staying INVOLVED in your kids lives and aware. I even covertly spy - looking over their shoulders to see what they are typing - to an extent. And yes, be aware of what they are watching on youtube, there is some weird stuff on there, but unless my child has PROVEN they are prone to being sneaky, then I don't think I should treat them like they are sneaky. I don't think parents should take diaries and read them. I feel like that is maybe the last step, after behavior issues have occurred. If you don't treat your kids with respect, then you aren't fostering a foundation for a respectful future adult relationship. Just an obligatory one. Not you, mom, we're fine! (I'm still paranoid she is going to somehow find this and read it and I'm going to get in trouble)  Also, it's not that I think a good adult relationship should be the only goal. I just feel like you aren't helping them transition from being "under your thumb" to being completely able to make their own choices if you don't allow them some personal identity in their teen years.

What do you think?

Smash Coffee Carafe Dance Party

So last night, I smashed my coffeepot and exploded glass on my face just by holding it a half inch from above the sink and dropping it straight down, like I am magic. I tell my husband at 5 am, when he got home from work, how I've smashed my third coffeepot, and he produces a box with a new carafe from above the cupboard like he is magic. He explains that he himself has smashed about 3 pots and figured we would need it. We then had a "Ha! We don't have to clean our coffeepot,  we just smash them" dance party and went to bed. (Well, not really the last part, it just sounded better than "we shuffled off." plus I think the words "coffee,  smash, and dance party" sound good together. Clickbait!)