>> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm siena. let's start with our top story for this week. the men and women who serve in our country's armed forces are true heroes. they put their own lives at risk to protect not just us but people all around the world. important as the role our military plays, alexa reports it comes with special challenges for the kids of those serving in uniform. >> for many of us, eating dinner with our parents is no big deal.

>> i eat dinner with my parents every night. >> uh, four or five times a week. >> like every night. >> like three times a week. >> most of us rarely change schools more than a handful of times. >> i've attended one school my whole life. >> i've attended two different schools. >> and when it comes to holidays like birthdays and christmas we usually celebrate on or very close to the actual days. >> i celebrate holidays on the actual day. >> i celebrate them on. >> but if you have a parent in the military, none of that can be taken for granted. at any given time, one or even both parents could be out on deployment -- that's military speak for being away on an assignment. in the line of duty, they might have to go to another state or even another country. and they may be there for months. so military families have to make big adjustments, and that can be hard on the kids. to talk more about this is leslie nelson. she wrote the book "t.a. for military kids: the

awesome military kid's guide to feelings." thanks for joining us. >> thanks for having me. >> so, tell us about some of the challenges kids with parents in the military face. >> sure. one of the biggest challenges is the absence of the military parent. and, you know, during deployment, this can be anywhere from six to nine months. that's a long time to have your parent gone. so what this means for the teen is sometimes that's a lot of additional responsibilities taking place at the house. maybe he or she has to help out with younger siblings and just pitch in more. some other challenges -- you know, moves -- frequent moves. military families move often sometimes up to about every three years. and what this means for the kid is that he or she may attend anywhere from six to nine different schools from kindergarten up to 12th grade. that's a lot of change and a lot of saying goodbye to old friends and making new ones and trying to get used to a new school system.

>> and how do these challenges affect the kids? >> they are more aware of certain things, such as war and the implications of, you know, a parent being gone for so long and in harm's way, in a danger zone. so that contributes to some levels of anxiety that perhaps other teens just aren't used to. and along with that anxiety goes, maybe, difficulty sleeping, trouble concentrating in school because they're worried about the deployed parent, and just an awareness of the news and what's going on around them. >> what advice do you have for kids with parents who are away on deployment for long periods of time? >> well, first and foremost -- this is so important -- is keep the lines of communication open, whether you're talking about the deployed parent who can always keep in contact via skype or e-mail or even telephone, so talk to your parents, and even your at-home parent. there may be a part of you that's hesitant to talk to your at-home parent during a deployment because you don't

want to stress out him or her any more. well, you know what? your parents can take it. so just keep those lines of communication open. that's vital. and also, too, along with that is find some other people to talk to, also, whether those are your peers or coaches, maybe a teacher that you really like at school or maybe a youth group leader or even, you know, a pastor or a rabbi or a priest. just know that you have somebody that you can go to, to talk to when things get a little rough. that's really gonna be the key. >> but there are some positives as well, aren't there? >> oh, absolutely, there are. what you find with military teens is they're a very resilient bunch, and they're so used to having additional responsibilities on them that they're independent thinkers. you know, they're very flexible, they're not as subject to peer pressure, and also, too, what i have found is they have a lot of pride. they're very proud of their family. they're very proud of their parent's military service, and they're very close to their

family, as well, because all of them have to work together because of their military experience and so many frequent moves that they all pull together to get the job done especially during deployments. so, yeah, there are some awesome characteristics that military teens possess. >> how can those of us who don't have military parents help those who do? >> one of the biggest things you can do is just to be aware of military teens that are in your school or in your community. so, for example, if one of them moves into your school system, you know, make note of that and be welcoming to them and ask them to sit with you at lunch and maybe have them come over to your house for dinner. just be aware of who they are, talk to them, make them feel welcome, and also, you know what, be there to listen to them if they need to talk. not in a pushy way, but just let them know that you're there, and if they want to talk about some of the stuff going on about mom and dad being gone or something like that, you know, just be there for them. that's really the key. >> that's great advice.

thanks for joining us. >> thank you so much for having me. i really appreciate it. >> you know, the military has all sorts of medals for those who serve in uniform. maybe they should consider creating one for the kids in the military families. sure sounds like they're serving their country, as well, in their own special way. >> what has sun, sand, and plenty of fish? i bet you didn't guess "a classroom," but it is... sort of.

>> you'll need sunscreen, but swimming is not allowed. as nicole reports, this trip to the beach is not for fun in the sun but to learn about our reliance on science. >> all right. >> no pen and paper necessary -- today's test is underwater. what chris and his teacher joel rodriguez catch in their net will determine if these students got today's assignment right.

before we see what they find let's take a look at how the day began. >> what we're doing today is we're actually gonna get into the water. we're gonna do some water-quality testing. we're gonna test the water, see if it's any good. >> these teens came to the beach strictly for science. >> it just gives you a chance to really get out there in the field with whatever you want to do, and i really like the program. >> coastal classroom teaches teens about the waterways near their home, from coastal ecology to aquatic habitats. >> a hands-on experience is always good for any student. it helps them really get a feel for what they're doing and learning more about their environment or wherever they're living at. >> today, students are looking for levels of the chemicals phosphate, nitrate, and oxygen. they won't find test results by standing on the beach. >> now, if you feel a coolness in the waders, it is not water. it might be sweat. >> that's probably not the grossest thing they'll experience as they collect their samples.

this is the test for oxygen levels. so now it's back to the net. >> oh, look at that! well, we're gonna i.d. some of this stuff. >> as they quickly learn there's plenty of life in this ocean. >> see that? so that's a flounder. right on the top, it looks just like sand, right? >> of course, most of the fish that we eat come from the ocean, but these students are making a more personal connection with the water. >> we're all kind of connected to these things. you know, a lot of the products that people actually use come from the ocean. they just kind of don't know about it. >> for example, things like toothpaste, shampoo, and even ice cream would not exist without our oceans. drug companies use the blood from horseshoe crabs to make

sure their drugs are safe for humans. the biggest lesson today is the importance of protecting our oceans. >> there's a reason why most of the population is near the water, you know? this is where life kind of starts. this is where a lot of resources are gathered. it's a mode of transportation, it's a food source, it's recreation, so it plays an important part in people's lives. and people really need to think about taking care of it and taking care of it for the future, you know, not just living for today. >> you don't have to live on the coast to learn more about our waterways. there's bound to be an organization like coastal classroom near you. it just takes a bit of research and a willingness to get your feet wet. >> we'll hear from a teen surfing champ about what it takes to ride the waves to success when we come back.

>> every sport has its own vocabulary. can you guess the sport if i say "barrel" or "dumpster diver"? how about "wipeout"? if you said "surfing," you're right. and these days, you really can't talk about surfing without mentioning lakey peterson. the teen surfer is riding a wave of impressive championship wins. she started at the age of five near her home in santa barbara, california. it helped that her mom was an olympic swimmer and the beach was nearby. >> i think the thing that drew me into it was i live right on a perfect little fun wave, so it was really easy for me to just pick up my board and go out and surf all the time. >> by the age of 16, lakey was the top female pick for the u.s.a. surf team. since she's homeschooled, she's able to travel the world for the top competitions. lakey's mastered some amazing techniques like this one. >> where you're going on the

wave, and then you launch into the air and grab your board and do a 360 and then land back on the wave. >> that's called the... air reverse. like just about all individual sports, surfing is judged on a combination of factors. >> to judge competitive surfing, it's on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the best, 0.1. being the worst. it depends on the wave and what the wave offers you, but most of the time, it's how well you surfed the wave, so, you know, if you maximized every opportunity you got. they would want to see someone do, like, a turn and then go straight from that into an air reverse, like we were talking about earlier. >> surfing comes from hawaii. early boards were made out of wood and were rather heavy. today, most boards are made out of lightweight foam. the one lakey uses is a new design. >> it's super, super wide. the tail is really wide, as well, and it's thicker than normal. it goes really, really fast, 'cause you have a lot of foam. it's very responsive, so any

little movement you do, it really just follows everything you do, and it's called a dumpster diver. it's awesome. [ chuckles ] >> when a wave is breaking, it creates a hollow tube. surfers call it a barrel. >> barrel is pretty much when the wave is spinning. so, let's say this is the wave right? the barrel is in here where you're, like, under the lip -- you're behind the lip and it's going over your head and you're going through it. >> and if you fall off your board, that's a wipeout. >> people say, like, "oh, you just got worked." that's a wipeout term. [ chuckles ] >> lakey is not only an ambassador for surfing, she is also a spokesperson for the student conservation association. they help clean up national parks. >> i love it, because what i do as a surfer, you know, the environment has to be clean for me to do what i do, so it's really nice knowing that they're

helping out with my sport, too. >> you don't have to be a surfer to give the student conservation association a helping hand. to learn more, check out our website. [ cheering ] >> the oldest baseball stadium in continuous use is fenway park. fenway park is located in the fenway district of boston, massachusetts and is the home of the boston red sox. but why is the park called fenway park? well, a "fen" is another word for a marsh, and before fenway park was built, the area was very marshy. but why they decided to build a baseball stadium over a marsh -- [ chuckles ] i'm not sure. i'm matt with "teen kids news." >> adopting a dog? i'll tell you some of the things you need to get before bringing home your new pet.

n't focus. i was always interrupting my t eammates. earlier in my career my coach approached me. he had some questions for me and, you know, first question was, do i ever have, you know, growing up did i have focus problems? and i said, "yes, coach, you know i obviously suffered from adhd as a kid." i felt like i've outgrown it. and he said, "i think that you know sometimes i don't feel like you're focused." so the next day i went and saw a doctor. i had no reason to be embarrassed, no reason to be, you know, ashamed of having adhd. you know, that's why i'm here telling my story. if you were diagnosed with adhd as a kid you might still have it. find out more. take a quiz at ownitquiz.com to help recognize the symptoms like inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, then talk with your doctor. seek help. don't be afraid. it 's your adhd. own it.

>> eden continues our special series on babysitting tips. >> ever wonder why some teens seem to be in great demand as babysitters while others, not so much? once again, we turn to dr. connie hebert, author of the book "the teachable minute," for help on becoming great sitters. hi, dr. connie. >> hi. thanks for having me on. >> it's great having you back. so, why are some sitters more popular than others? >> well, babysitters are teachers, in a way, and great babysitters know the secret and the secret is to catch the teachable minute with kids. the teachable minute is

something that you show, ask, or teach kids, and when you do that, kids really appreciate you. they want to be with you, they feel like you're with them, and so they say, "mom and dad, this was a great babysitter." >> is this a special talent that some of us were born with or can anyone come up with ideas for teachable minutes? >> well, it's not something that we're born with. it's something that we get good at by practicing. so if you want to catch teachable minutes with kids, you have to say, "what i can i show, ask, or teach kids right here, right now?" >> so, can you give one or two examples of things we can do to become better sitters? >> sure. let's say you're in the kitchen with kids. for little kids, you would call out some words, like refrigerator, and ask them to give you other words that start like "refrigerator" or "sink" or "cupboard." for older kids, you could hold up some utensils and say "what's this for?" and hold another one up and say, "what's this for?" get these kids to think.

they really need you to help them think and to grow smarter. >> great idea. can't wait to try some of those. thanks, dr. connie. >> thanks. >> you might say that one of the tricks to being a good sitter is not to just sit on your butt. if you give a little, you'll probably end up getting a lot. and i'm not just talking about money. >> when it comes to adopting a dog, just because you finally found the perfect pet doesn't mean you're done. >> it starts with getting your home prepared for the new, four-legged arrival. that means having all the things you're going to need to care for your pet. most dog trainers recommend using a dog crate. don't think of it as a cage but rather as a dog's own private space. >> you want to make sure you get a crate that's properly sized for your dog. >> next, you'll need to have a good collar. >> the best type is either a plain buckle collar that has a really secure clasp like this one or a front-clip harness like

this, which sits across the dog's body and leads them from the front of their chest. >> of course, you'll also need a leash. it should be sturdy and about four to six feet long. and here's a neat trick for training. >> get yourself a treat pouch that you can hook on your hip and you can carry with you on walks so that treats are easily accessible when your dog walks nicely. and perhaps most importantly you want to make sure that you get your dog lots and lots of chew toys. >> chew toys are not only a fun activity for your dog, they also help with obedience. >> these are toys that are hollow in the middle that you can put the dog's normal meals and special treats in because it's a really great way to keep the dog busy, which means that they're busy playing with their chew toys -- they're not getting into trouble. >> and that's good, because if your dog's occupied with chew toys, it's less likely to chew on things like clothes and furniture. >> i would have to say that probably the most important tip for a family that's adopting a dog is that they need to avoid killing with kindness. the kindest thing you can do for your newly adopted dog is bring them home and employ management

tools like a crate and on-leash supervision to prevent them from indulging in behavior problems like destructive chewing house-training issues, and excessive barking. >> having a dog is like having a new member of the family. it comes with a lot of responsibility. but it also gives a lot of love. >> this contest reminder islove. brought to you by the national underground railroad freedom center in partnership with the 9/12 generation project. if you want the chance to win some cash prizes or even be published in a book, listen up. in honor of black history month, there's an essay contest open to all students in grades 6 through 12. in 250 words or less, answer this question -- "what does freedom mean to me?" you can find the contest rules and how to enter at... and if you want to learn more about the national underground railroad freedom center in cincinnati, ohio, check out... there are also links on our website. the deadline is february 25th. good luck!

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>> this report is brought to you by guinness world records. from the world's biggest working yo-yo to the smallest waistline to the longest golf club ever, the people at guinness world records have been keeping track of record-breaking feats for years. >> yep. it's exactly 4 meters and 37 centimeters right to the end. >> 2015 marks their 60th anniversary edition, and there's lots of cool new entries. when it comes to the longest human tongue, this california teen has the competition licked. his tongue measures almost 4 inches from lip to tip. >> my tongue's useful for a lot of the conventional things you would think -- licking lollipops and eating ice cream and getting all the pudding out of the bottom of a cup.

>> but this dog in texas has him beat. fortunately for nick, there's a separate category for canines. when it comes to jumping, you might say that alley cat-apulted herself into the record books. >> i trained alley to start jumping because i noticed that she loved to do it. in a year's period, we got her from, you know, jumping two, three feet, four feet, five feet, and then, finally, right before she turned a year old she was able to leap a full six feet. >> and speaking of feet, wait till you see what inca can do with hers. she turned the world of archery on its head when she set the record for shooting an arrow the farthest with her feet. >> i prefer to do things upside down because it makes things a little bit more challenging, and it's also more enjoyable for me to see the world in that perspective. >> all you new drivers who find parallel parking difficult -- watch this. >> alastair sets a new world

record of 8.6 centimeters for the tightest parallel park doing it on his first attempt. >> 8.6 centimeters is just slightly more than 3 inches, about the length of three quarters. as they often say, don't try this at home. the first edition of "guinness world records" was published in 1955. every year, new records are added to the list. >> "guinness world records 2015" is a really landmark edition for us. we have committed ourselves, since 1955, to document the world and record this amazing superlatives from the highest mountain... to land-speed record... to the largest hamburger... amazing sporting achievement like the first sub-four-minute mile by roger bannister. >> a british medical student roger bannister, earned sports immortality -- the first man to break the legendary four-minute

barrier, running a mile in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds. >> it's important that we recognize these things and document them in our book. >> "guinness world records 2015" is now available. for "teen kids news," i'm katie. >> that wraps up our show, but we'll be back soon with more "teen kids news." thanks for joining us, and have a great week.

adventures brought to you by seaworld and busch gardens. for more than 40 years working to preserve the world we share. (jack hanna) in the frozen wonderland of antarctica, how do penguins stay so warm? and what's with all those rocks? hi, i'm jack hanna here at penguin encounter, seaworld orlando. welcome to animal adventures. this cold, icy habitat complete with penguins and rocky cliffs is reminiscent of the mysterious antarctic.