Parental As Anything

It’s normal for teenagers to push away parents and think we’re totally embarrassing, so how can we keep connected to them?  

Parents from the Parental As Anything: Teens community have shared their best hacks on how they bond with their teenagers. 

By the age of 15 more than 50 per cent of teenagers have looked at porn. For teenage boys, this can quickly become a habit. Research points to a link between porn use and sexual violence, with young men the most likely offenders.  

So how can we help our teens understand that curiosity around sex is normal but the violence and degradation depicted in porn is not? And how can we help set them up to have healthy, respectful relationships? 

The last years of high school can be full of pressure and stress – but what do you do if your teenager just can’t seem to get organised or manage their time? Some teenagers become highly anxious and are weighed down by pressure to get top marks for university – while others just can’t seem to get motivated. 

Youth coach Claire Eaton joins Bec Sparrow to share strategies on getting study ready, planning, how to motivate teens and what to do when the pressure to achieve becomes too much.  

Masturbation and self-pleasure are a normal part of exploring sexuality,  but that doesn't mean it's not awkward to talk about with our teens. Bec Sparrow shares her advice on talking to teens and tweens about exploring their own bodies and what to do if there is social pressure to overshare. 

There has been a huge rise in online bullying – and it can be subtle and sophisticated – with devastating impacts on victim’s mental health. These days bullies are on our teenager’s screens 24/7 via Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram and WhatsApp and there’s no escaping the torture.  

How do we protect our teens online? What steps should we take if we find out our child is a target of cyberbullying? And what should we do if we find out our child is a cyberbully?  

Vapes come in fun, fruity flavours and are easy to hide, part of the reason they’re so appealing to teenagers. But what should you do if you catch your teen vaping? And are they worse than the cigarettes of our hey-day? 

Bec Sparrow shares the steps to take if your teenager is secretly vaping, how to help your adolescent resist social pressure to inhale and the importance of busting myths around  the health risks of vapes and e-cigarettes.  

First loves can be all consuming – so what should you do if your teen wants to have their new boyfriend or girlfriend sleep over? From unwanted pregnancies and contraception to STDs and consent, there’s a lot to navigate– for parents and teenagers.  

Adolescents and young people are most at risk of getting an eating disorder, with the average age of onset between 12 and 25. And eating disorders are on the rise, with  a 21% increase in disordered eating in the past decade.

What makes teens vulnerable to eating disorders? What can we do to protect them?  And, how can we support them if they do?  

Teenagers are spending more time than ever on their phones – they are on devices up to 8 hours a day. And that’s when they’re not at school!  

Of course, your teen won't see their excessive screentime as an issue. Phones are a way for teens to connect but they also distract and get in the way of sleep.  

So what can you do if your teenager is constantly attached to their phone? 

You find fresh cuts on your teenager’s body – what do you do next? Self-harm can be a way for teens to cope with big emotions, anxiety and distress and it's more common than parents might think.