Parenting a teen is hard work! It’s normal to be concerned about aspects of your teen’s life. Here you’ll find specific resources to help prepare to speak to your teen about a variety of topics — things like alcohol use, sex, and driver safety. After speaking with your teen, you may want to pass along these materials, too. This can give them a chance to digest the information before having to discuss it.
General
- CDC Parent Information Page
- Page contains a variety of links to the following:
- an essentials for parenting teen course
- tips for raising kids aged 0-19
- covid-19 resources
- food resources
- list of common parent topics
- buttons and badges,
- videos for parents
https://opa.hhs.gov/adolescent-health?resources-and-publications/info/parents/
- USDHHS Office of Adolescent Health resource focuses on how adolescents develop and the issues they face (reproductive health and teen pregnancy, healthy relationships, substance use, etc) as they mature in addition to special topics in adolescent health – each topic links to a different page.
https://adolescenthealth.org/resources/resources-for-adolescents-and-parents/
- This page from SAHM provides online resources aimed at adolescents and young adults and their parents (provides links to pages on the following topics – MenB vaccination, mental health resources, substance use resources, sexual and reproductive health confidentiality in healthcare, physical and psychosocial development).
Teen Speak
Specific Topics
Body Image:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/eating_disorders.html
- Nemours Kids Health page on Eating Disorders – what they are, different types, and what to do if your child has an eating disorder
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
- NEDA homepage
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders: 888-375-7767
National Eating Disorders Association:
- If you are looking for information about eating disorders please check out: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/what-are-eating-disorders
- If you are looking for treatment options, please check out https://map.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
- If you are looking for support options, please check out our Free & Low-Cost Support opportunities at https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/free-low-cost-support as well as our other help options.
- Take our screening to find out if you are at risk for an eating disorder: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/screening-tool
- Check out our Excerpts from the Experts video series at https://www.youtube.com/@NEDAonline
Family Relationships (parents, siblings):
- HelpGuide.org article titled “Tips to Improve Family Relationships”
https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-foster-positive-sibling-relationships
- PBS article titled “How to Foster Positive Sibling Relationships”
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/03/feature-sibling-relationships
- American Psychological Association article titled, “Improving Sibling Relationships”
Friendships:
- HealthyChildren.org article titled, “What Parents Can Do to Support Friendships”
https://www.apa.org/topics/parenting/navigating-friendships
- American Psychological Association article titled, “How to help kids navigate friendships and peer relationships” – toddlers through teenagers
https://www.chconline.org/resourcelibrary/healthy-friendships-in-adolescence/
- Children’s Health Council resource on healthy friendships in adolescence
Romantic Relationships/Sex:
https://www.thehotline.org/resources/talking-to-teens-about-relationship-abuse/
- From the national domestic violence hotline site: “Talking to Teens About Relationship Abuse” article with tips
http://www.loveisrespect.org/is-this-abuse/is-this-abuse
- Love is Respect article on “Types of Abuse” – physical, emotional and verbal, sexual, financial, digital, and stalking
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- 24/7 hotline
National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline: 1-866-331-9474
- Love is Respect hotline
Sex:
http://www.talkwithyourkids.org
- Talk with your kids.org home page – has a video and links to pages on talking with your kids timelines and giving your teens the facts
- Brief Advocates for Youth fact sheet on varying sex ed programs (abstinence-centered, comprehensive sex-ed, etc)
https://amaze.org/having-the-talks/
- Parent playlists by amaze.org and recommended by Advocates for Youth – comprised of short videos re: where to start with sex ed for young people
Sex-Safer Practices:
- Bedsider homepage on birth control, finding the best method for you and how to get birth control
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS/STI Hotline: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)
- 8am-8pm M-F
Planned Parenthood: 1-800-230-PLAN (7526)
- Phone number to contact to find a Planned Parenthood clinic
Sexual Orientation and Identity:
- Pflag home page – contains links, resources, and an option to search by zip code to connect with your local chapter
https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-youth/lgbtq-youth/
- CDC page on LGBTQ+ youth with info on a school-based approach, safe spaces, positive youth development, inclusive sexual health education, and parent engagement
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender (LGBT) National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564
- M-F 4pm-12am EST
- Saturday 12-5pm EST
Youth Talkline 1-800-246-PRIDE (7743)
- M-F 4pm -12am EST
- Saturday 12-5pm EST
The Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
- 24/7
Mental Health (anxiety, depression):
https://healthyviewing.apa.org/
- Evidence-based guide to help parents navigate the complex world of teen video viewing.
https://www.pbs.org/parents/managing-emotions
- PBS on emotion management in kids (less teen-focused)
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/anxiety_disorders.html
- Nemours Kids Health article for parents on what anxiety disorders are, the signs and symptoms, the causes, how they are diagnosed and treated, and how to help your child
Anxiety:
http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2010-11-24-how-parent-anxious-kids
- Child Mind Institute video and list of 10 tips for parenting anxious kids
http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2014-3-18-help-my-teen-stopped-talking-me
- Child Mind Institute tips for staying in touch while letting kids separate in a healthy way
Depression:
- American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry page on depression in children and teens – explains common symptoms of depression in children and adolescents
- NIMH fact sheet, “Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage?” that discusses mental health in childhood, when to seek help, first steps for parents, assessing your child’s behavior, treatment options, working with the school, and additional resources
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Dial 988
Boys Town National Hotline (all youth, not just boys):1-800-448-3000
- 24/7 crisis hotline
Suicidal Thoughts:
http://jasonfoundation.com/prp/
- The Jason Foundation “Parent Resource Program” page – which then has a widget linking here: https://prp.jasonfoundation.com/
- To the parent resource program itself – contains tabs on who is at risk, facts, what a parent can do, and about JFI
- Suicide Hotline 988 homepage
Boys Town National Hotline (all youth, not just boys):1-800-448-3000
- 24/7 crisis hotline
School (grades, absences, getting into trouble):
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/bullies.html
- Nemours Kids Health article for parents on helping kids deal with bullies – answers questions on when it is bullying, why kids bully, signs of bullying, what families can do, advice for kids, and building confidence
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/cyberbullying.html?ref=search
- Nemours Kids Health article for parents on cyberbullying – what it is, the effects, and how parents can help
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/8-tips-for-talking-about-bad-grades
- Cleveland Clinic health essentials article titled “8 tips for talking about bad grades”
- HealthyChildren.org article titled: “School Attendance, Truancy, & Chronic Absenteeism: What Parents Need to Know”
Alcohol Use:
https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/NIAAA_Make_a_Difference_English_1.pdf
- 28 page publication from the NIH, “Make a Difference, Talk to your child about Alcohol”
Parents’ Drug Free Hotline: 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373)
- Helpline from the Partnership to End Addiction is for anyone playing a supportive role in the life of someone struggling with substance use
https://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/sites/cdp/files/documents/FINALParents.pdf
- 12 page publication on “What Parents Need to Know About College Drinking” from the NIH and USDHHS
Drug Use:
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/parents-educators
- NIH page with links to the latest science-based info on drug use, health, and the developing brain – designed for young people and parents, guardians, and educators
- Mayo Clinic Tween and Teen health page – “Teen drug abuse: Help your teen avoid drugs”
Parents’DrugFreeHotline:1-855-DRUGFREE(1-855-378-4373)
- Helpline from the Partnership to End Addiction is for anyone playing a supportive role in the life of someone struggling with substance use
National Alcohol/Drug Abuse Hotline:1-800-662-HELP(4357)
- SAMHSA National Helpline
Nicotine Use:
http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/tips-for-talking-to-kids.html
- American Lung Association page titled, “Tips for Talking to Kids about Smoking”
https://www.parentsagainstvaping.org/parents-accordion
- Parents Against Vaping resources for parents on the following topics: ‘how to help your child,” “take action,” “local resources by state,” “learn more,” and “for parents of lgbtq+ kids”
- Each sub-heading has a variety of links with additional resources
https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/e-cigarettes-vaping/e-cigarette-resources
- American Lung Association page titled “Links to E-Cigarette Resources”
- Links to variety of related resources, such as USDHHS, American Lung Association’s Truth about E-cigarettes brochure, US Surgeon General’s Know the Risks: E-cigarettes and Young People, etc
- Also has side panel on tops for quitting smoking and helping teens quit smoking and vaping
Passenger/Driver Safety:
http://www.cdc.gov/parentsarethekey/
- CDC materials on how parents are the key to save drivers – though this link may be better as it links directly to the resources for parents: https://www.cdc.gov/teen-drivers/site.html#gen
https://www.nhtsa.gov/teen-driving/parents-talk-your-teen-driver-about-safe-driving
- NHTSA article for parents on how to talk to your teen driver about safe driving
https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/teen-driving
- NHTSA article about teen driving for parents
Violence (school, community):
https://mhanational.org/talking-kids-about-school-safety
- Mental Health America article titled, “Talking to Kids about School Safety”
- National Association of School Psychologists article titled, “Talking to Children about Violence: Tips for Families and Educators”
- Fact sheet from the Center for Resilience and Well-Being in Schools titled, “Talking to Teens: When Violence Happens”
- CHOP article titled, “Tips for Parents on Talking to Children Exposed to Violent Events,” also has links to different articles based on types of violence (bullying in schools, child sex trafficking, dating violence, gun violence, etc)
