WASHINGTON -- President Clinton on Tuesday ordered a ban on a "glass ceiling for parents" in the federal work force, meaning the government cannot discriminate against parents out of concern that home life will intrude on the workplace.
"Believe it or not, there are still some employers who are reluctant to hire or promote employees who have children at home," Clinton said at the start of a White House conference on helping families raise teenagers."The job they are doing at home is more important," Clinton said, citing studies and a new poll that, he said, confirm that communication and family togetherness are crucial factors in raising responsible, happy teenagers.
Clinton's executive order applies only to federal workers and does not require approval from Congress.
"Parents are still the most important adults in their teenagers' lives," first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton said before introducing her "co-parent" in raising daughter Chelsea, 20, who left home three years ago for college.
Hillary Clinton described occasional frustrations as she and the president dealt with Chelsea's teenage ambivalence toward them. "You want to hang around just in case they'll deign to say something to you," she said to laughter.
But she said the 30 minutes or so the three of them tried to spend having at least one meal together each day was her favorite part of the day.
Parents, teens, teachers, youth workers and others were invited to the daylong conference to discuss ways to raise and mentor responsible and resourceful youths.
The first lady moderated two morning sessions, including one on what parents and communities can do to help teens succeed. Afternoon panel discussions were to address what can be done to make it easier for parents to spend time together, media's effect on youth and parenting and what parents, communities and young people can do to avoid risky behavior.
"Adults usually do not listen to young people and they don't make it their business to help them implement their goals," said panelist Dorothy Stoneman, founder of the Boston-based YouthBuild USA, which teaches low-income young people construction skills by building affordable housing in their communities. "What happens when you listen, young people get engaged and connected and they feel better about themselves."
The conference also was highlighting recent brain research that says the preteen years are as important in setting patterns for adult behavior as the first three years of life.
Scientists had believed that brain development slowed after the first few years of life -- that the brain was essentially organized by the time a child enters the first grade. The research, first published late last year and then in the March issue of the journal Nature, showed that in teenagers up to age 15, there are peak growth rates in areas of the brain associated with language and associative thinking.
"Sometimes we give up on kids early . . . but from the biological perspective there are still lots and lots of opportunities for change during the teen years," said Dr. Jay Giedd, a National Institute of Mental Health child psychiatrist.