Holy smokes! What a wild ride the teen years are. Here are some valuable tools and programs to explore:
Child Mind Institute: Offers a wide range of articles, guides, and expert advice on parenting, mental health, and behavior challenges for children and teens. Topics include anxiety, ADHD, emotional regulation, and executive functioning.
Kids Help Phone (Parent Resources): While Kids Help Phone primarily serves youth, they also offer helpful information and tips for parents on how to support their child’s mental health, recognize signs of distress, and navigate tough conversations.
Kids Help Phone - For Parents
The Jed Foundation (JED): Provides resources to help parents support their child’s mental health, focusing on emotional well-being and preparing teens for life after high school.
JED Foundation Parent Resources
The Parent Toolkit: A comprehensive online resource that includes grade-specific advice on academic, social, and emotional development. There are articles, videos, and tools to help parents guide their children through middle school.
MiddleWeb: Offers insightful articles and resources specifically for parents of middle school students, addressing common challenges like emotional regulation, organization skills, and communication.
MiddleWeb Parent Resources
Your Teen for Parents: This website provides support, advice, and expert articles on the challenges and joys of parenting teens. It covers topics such as managing screen time, mental health, and teen independence.
The Center on the Developing Adolescent: Provides science-backed resources to help parents understand adolescent brain development, emotional regulation, and decision-making processes, as well as practical strategies to support their teens.
The Center on the Developing Adolescent
PBS Parents: This section on parenting adolescents offers age-specific advice on topics like peer pressure, emotional outbursts, and helping teens build healthy self-esteem.
PBS Parents: Middle School
Understood: A fantastic resource for parents of children who may have learning and attention issues, but it also offers great advice on executive functioning, helping your child stay organized, and managing homework challenges.
ADDitude: For parents of kids with ADHD or executive functioning challenges, ADDitude offers expert tips and tools on how to support organizational skills, time management, and emotional regulation.
Common Sense Media: Offers advice on navigating tricky topics such as social media, screen time, and online safety. They also provide tips on how to communicate effectively with teens about technology and other hot-button issues.
Common Sense Media - Parents
Positive Parenting Solutions: A program designed to give parents tools to help resolve power struggles, improve communication, and foster respect and cooperation in the home.
Parenting Adolescents (via Parentline): This service offers virtual parenting workshops, advice lines, and resources specifically for parents of teens. Topics include navigating peer pressure, improving communication, and emotional health.
Parenting Pod: Provides a range of resources and articles on emotional well-being, stress management, and how to navigate parenting challenges during adolescence.
Facebook Groups for Parents of Teens: There are many active Facebook communities where parents can ask questions, share advice, and receive support. Some popular groups include "Parents of Teens" and "Raising Tweens and Teens."
Parenting the Middle Years (via Reddit): An online forum where parents can share their experiences and challenges related to raising middle schoolers.
These resources provide a solid foundation to help parents understand their teen's development, foster resilience, and build a supportive environment for success during the critical middle school years.