parents of teens

 

Tell us about your family rituals Even simple rituals like cake on Sunday night can hold special meaning for families. They make you feel good and create a sense of belonging. What are your special family rituals? Teenagers and family relationships Teenagers need family love and support at a time when lots of other things in their lives are changing. You can keep family relationships with your child strong through everyday activities. Staying connected with your teenager As teenagers become more independent, they often spend more time away from family. But you can maintain good family relationships by making time to connect with your child. Dads and teenagers Good relationships between dads and their teenage kids can boost teenage self-esteem and wellbeing. Just being around and spending everyday time with your child is a great start. Feature video: family meetings and teenagers This short video shows how regular planned time together is a great way for a family to talk about upcoming events, changes to family life or just what’s going on for everyone. Talking to Teens interactive guide Our interactive guide explores some common parents and teens situations. You can see how different approaches to communicating with teenagers affect family relationships.

   
With the school holidays coming up, you and your child might be able to relax and have a break from the everyday school routine. Spending time together is a great way to stay connected with your teenage child. And it might also give you the chance to discover the things you have in common with your teenager, or new things your child might open your eyes to. Here are some ideas for rest and play these school holidays.
Teenagers and free time Teenagers need free time to unwind and spend with friends. Free time with family is important too. Get your child interested by planning special activities to start with. Extracurricular activities for your child Extracurricular activities let your child develop an interest, meet like-minded people, or build new skills. Holidays can be a good time to try new things. Keeping your child active Young people have lots of demands on their time, so they can find it hard to be active. During adolescence, your child needs at least 60 minutes of activity every day. Sleep and your teenage child Adolescence brings lots of reasons to miss out on sleep, but your child needs to get good-quality sleep more than ever – at least 9¼ hours each night. Feature video: family meetings Family meetings are a great way for your family to catch up and talk about what’s going on for everyone. Maybe you could use a family meeting to plan your next holiday.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses have increased a lot since the 1990s. Even if ASD isn’t part of your family’s experience, you probably know a child with ASD. Teenagers with ASD have challenges with interacting and communicating, but many get a lot out of being with other teenagers. And in social situations, a little understanding of ASD can go a long way.

With World Autism Awareness Day coming up (2 April), you can learn more in our ASD videos below. 

Living with Asperger’s Ellis is 13 and has Asperger’s disorder. He and his family talk about what it’s like. As Ellis says, ‘It’s learn as you go. Asperger’s is a permanent thing, but not necessarily a bad thing’. Preparing teens with ASD for adulthood These parents sometimes worry about the future. But they also say support networks really help their child get good advice, learn practical skills and build independence. Friends, peers and relationships Teenagers with ASD can find socialising at high school a challenge, say these parents. They share success stories about after-school activities and talk about teenagers’ relationships. A friend with Asperger’s Aiden is 13 and has a friend, Ellis, with Asperger’s disorder. Aiden says Ellis is smart and ‘more organised than me’. Aiden’s advice for teens is ‘just be friendly’ to kids with ASD.

Talking to Teens Which parenting approaches do teens find most effective? This interactive video guide now includes parent and teen comments on tricky behaviour and communication scenarios.

Personal Questions
Puberty is that time in life when kids' bodies change and become more like grownups'. So it's no surprise that kids have LOTS of "personal questions" about these changes.

Crushes
Just as our bodies grow and mature, so do our feelings. Having a crush on someone is one sign that you're growing up. It can be fun - and sometimes disappointing.

Have a Merry, and Safe Christmas!

 

Because of the massive physical changes they’re going through, teenagers need good nutrition. Teenagers also form lifelong food habits in adolescence. You can help your child make good food choices in these years by sharing healthy family food and being a positive food role model. And make sure to keep your fridge and pantry well-stocked – your child’s got a lot of growing to do.

New! Food for teenagers Your child needs extra calcium and iron to build strong bones and muscle mass. Try putting dairy food, red meat, green leafy vegetables, legumes and wholegrains on the menu. New! Eating away from home Your independent teenager will probably want to eat out more often. Eating well and talking about good food at home encourages your child to choose healthy options when she’s out. New! Keeping teenagers active Physical activity keeps teenage bodies and minds fit and healthy. During adolescence, your child needs at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day. New! Body image A positive body image is feeling happy about your body and being comfortable with the way you look. It’s a big part of healthy self-esteem for teenagers, and you can help build it. Feature videos: food and fitness In these videos, parents and teenagers discuss eating well and keeping active. Many of them look fo

 

It doesn’t matter whether your children are teenagers or toddlers – being a parent is still a big job. Teenagers might not need your help with things like getting dressed and bathing anymore, but your child still needs your practical help, active involvement and emotional support. To keep up, you need to look after yourself. When you’re happy, healthy and fit, you’re in good shape for parenting.

New! Dads and teenagers Good relationships between dads and their teenagers can boost teenage self-esteem and wellbeing. Dads being involved can help teenage boys stay out of trouble too.

Parenting teenagers: looking after yourself Parenting teenagers can be hard work. Looking after your physical and mental wellbeing can help you stay calm and consistent, and deal better with any conflict that comes up.

Planning for the teenage years It’s normal to worry as your child approaches the teenage years. Thinking back to your own teens and doing some research can help you relate to what your child’s going through.

Teenagers and family relationships Teenagers need strong family support to cope with the big changes in their lives. You can build strong family relationships with your child through ordinary, everyday activities.

New! Feature videos: parenting teens with ASD You can hear parents talk about ASD and adolescence. There are also stories from friends of teenagers with ASD and teens living with ASD.

Parenting teens tool

Which parenting approaches do teenagers find most effective? The Talking to Teens interactive guide now includes parent and teen video comments on tricky behaviour scenarios.

 

Although it can be stressful for you, adolescence and risk-taking go hand in hand. It happens partly because teenagers need to explore their own limits and abilities, as well as the boundaries you set. It’s also because your child’s brain isn’t fully mature. It might help to know that it’s an important part of your child’s journey to independent young adulthood.

Teenage risk-taking: how to handle it You can limit your child’s risk-taking and keep her safer by helping her learn to assess risk. Some ground rules might help too, along with being a good role model for your child. Teenagers and sexting ‘Sexting’ can be risky for your child’s wellbeing and reputation. It can also have serious legal consequences. You can help your child make safer choices about sexuality and technology. Teenage parties Teenage parties get a lot of bad press, but they can be a positive part of your child’s social life. If you keep the lines of communication open, you can help your child stay safe. Privacy, monitoring and trust in the teenage years Young people who feel they’re trusted are less likely to act in risky ways. They’re more likely to be open and honest, stick to the rules, and try to live up to your expectations. Feature video: risky behaviour In this short video, teenagers talk about what they do when their friends are doing risky things. Parents talk about how they handle teenage risk-taking.