The 3 Stages Of Raising A Teenager: Quarantine Edition

Source: Scary Mommy

None of us could have seen 2020’s changes coming, although I’m sure you were noticing the changes in your teen over the last year and doing the best you could to survive by trying to understand and adapt to their needs. In this article, I will be walking through the three stages of teen development (of course with a little humor) so you feel more equipped to navigate the ever-changing waters of the stage your teen is currently in and batten down the hatches for what’s to come next.

Why Raising A Teen Right Now Feels Like A Game Of Survivor & What To Do About It

Source: Buzzfeed

Maybe things were hard before 2020, but now they seem IMPOSSIBLE with the two (or three, or four) of you sharing the same walls 24/7 and playing in your own version of Survivor. Yet in your version of Survivor, instead of competing for $10,000, you are competing for sanity, the remote, and for your daughter to stop “shopping” your closet and leaving her unwanted items (basically everything) all over the floor…

How to Say No to your Teen without Starting WWIII

Source: Today Parenting Team

No one wants to play bad cop. And, of course, each of us remembers what it was like when our parents said ‘no’ when other’s parents said ‘yes’, but this time we are VERY scared! None of us want our kids to get sick, or hurt, or even endanger others by not socially distancing themselves.

So, how do we say it without our teens immediately firing back leading to an awful confrontation?

“I’m In Love”

Source: Ready, Set, Grow

Hearing that your teen is in love can be terrifying. As parents, we know the emotional and often physical commitment these words bring into a relationship, yet seeking out and experiencing love is a normal part of teen development. When your teens share their feelings with you, avoid having emotionally charged discussion. 

Engaging Adolescents in Open Discussions About Sex: A Primary Care Response to Adolescent Sexual Health Risks

Source: etr

How sexually active—and sexually risky—are today’s teens?

Scientific studies continue to support the notion that teens today actually have less sex than their parents did as teens. Yet nearly one in four teens will become pregnant by age 20, and half of the new STDs in the U.S. each year occur among people between the ages of 15 and 24. 

Is my teen normal?

Source: Children’s Health Foundation

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that, I would be writing this on my own private island. As a healthcare provider and founder of Possibilities for Change—an organization dedicated to transforming teen health—my team and I have found that while most parents ask this question, many don’t know how to define normal .