Teens and adults alike experience stress. Stress is typically caused by an external trigger like an angry sibling shouting, “You can’t have my game!” or a parent or those in a parenting role insisting a teen needs to stop talking on the phone and do their chores. Feelings of stress are naturally built-in mechanisms for human survival and thriving. These feelings are the body’s way of warning you when there is danger and calling your attention to problems that need resolving. A stressor can be one-time or ongoing.  On the other hand, anxiety is the body’s reaction to stress and can occur even if there is no current threat. While all humans experience some anxiety, when worries and fears become persistent, they can begin to interfere with everyday life and impact your teen’s health.  As a parent or those in a parenting role, you can help your teen learn to identify and manage their stress -- an important skill they will use throughout their lives.

Now is the right time to become more informed about the challenges regarding cannabis that may face your teen and how you can position them for success. 

As a parent or someone in a parenting role, you play an essential role in your teen’s success. There are intentional ways to grow a healthy parent-teen relationship, and daily routines provide a perfect opportunity. 

As a parent or someone in a parenting role, you play an essential role in your teen’s success. There are intentional ways to foster a healthy parent-teen relationship, and helping your teen learn how to manage peer pressure provides a timely opportunity.

Now is the right time to become more fully informed about the challenges your teen may face about alcohol and how you can position them for success. 

As a parent or those in a parenting role, you play an essential role in your teen’s growth and success. There are intentional ways to grow a healthy parent-teen relationship, and growing your teen’s skills to manage conflict provides an ideal opportunity.

Teens will make note of differences in the world.  They may also directly seek more diversity in their lives as they contemplate life after high school, whether that involves college or the work world. Parents or those in a parenting role can support teens as they make sense of differences among people by talking to them about what they observe and creating a safe, trusting space to discuss issues.

Fifteen-year-olds are working on understanding what it means to behave responsibly. They are: 

● working to understand the rules and apply them across various settings. 

● working on their independence. 

● increasingly taking care of their bodies (eating right, getting exercise). 

● caring for their relationships (managing their feelings and impulses, empathizing and working through conflict, being dependable, and keeping promises). 

● managing homework and extracurriculars. 

● contributing to their household (doing chores, cooperating with rules and expectations).