Family Life with Tweens and Teens - Free Parenting Resources

Resources for parents of young workers.  Includes information on workplace safety, career information for kids, and links to other useful websites. 

The National Stepfamily Resource Center is a division of Auburn University's Center for Children, Youth, & Families.  Its mission: to be a "clearinghouse of information" provides resources on a broad range of relevant topics for couples and children in stepfamilies.  Examples: handling stepfamily money and the effects of remarriage on children.

"At What Cost?  The Price That Working Students Pay For A College Education”

The world’s largest online safety and help group.”  You can navigate by category such as parents, kids, tweens, and teens, or check out the “hot topics” menu.  Offers a comprehensive list of ways to keep kids safe online and when using wireless technologies.  Also features a live help option, a newsletter, and an interactive forum.  Also available in Spanish.

This guide touches on some of the California laws that apply to teens at this turning point: age of majority, moving out, money matters, working and taxes, marriage and partnerships, civil laws and lawsuits and more.  Funded by the California Bar.

Tips and common child safety rules.

This flash presentation shows how sites and activities kids and teens typically use can infect a computer with malicious software and discusses how to protect your computer from infection.

Recommendations for choosing non-violent and educational video games.

The proven link between video game violence and violent behavior.

The value of using the library.

Tips to get the most from television viewing.

The link between an understanding of time and organization.

How to help your teen be a responsible driver.

Tips to keep kids interested in reading during the summer.

Get your child interested in science by sending them to space camp.

Why you should teach your child critical television viewing skills.

The link between violent television and violent behavior in children.

Learn why magazines make fun and educational gifts.

Tips to teach you how to effectively listen to your children.

The importance of making learning resolutions in your family.

Unsupervised children are at increased risk for violence, drugs, and sexual activity.

Ways you can help your child learn geography at home.

How an adult mentor can influence a young person's life.

Help your child learn how to set and achieve goals.

Why children learn geometry most effectively when it is part of their daily lives.

Get your kids hooked on books by choosing Children's Choice Awards

8 tips to encourage safe driving habits in teens.

Tips to teach your children ecology at home.

Understand why students need action-oriented ecology lessons at home.

The benefits of linking a weekly allowance to assigned chores.

Learn to build your children's money management skills with a weekly allowance.

Dangers of video games, how to moderate playing time, and how to choose the right games.

Featuring “Youth 2 Work," “Youth Rules,” “Youth Careers,”  “Youth Safety,” and “Youth Industry” departments.  Includes regulations, seminars, safety and health information, and various e-tools.

In Tips for Parents: When a Mommy or Daddy Dies, learn how to help yourself and your children grieve and cope in a healthy way when your spouse passes away. 

In Tips for Parents: What Age Can My Child Stay Home Alone, learn state requirements, if any, about the minimum age children can stay home alone, get expert recommendations, and find a checklist to help you prepare your child for staying home alone.

Discover the resources and activities available for kids at the library.

The dangers of too much television and how you can pull the plug.

Tips for developing strong thinking skills in kids.

Learn the valuable skills and lessons chores can teach your kids.

Tips to encourage your teen to drive safely.

In Tips for Parents: Teen Parents, learn the steps you should take if you're pregnant, and if you're already a teen parent, get tips for improving your and your baby's lives.

Fun tips and great resources for keeping the kids busy and out of trouble during summer vacation.

Understand the negative ways student employment can affect your teen's education.

When a new stepparent joins the family, extra care should be taken to develop a safe, secure and mutually rewarding relationship between all involved.  Find tips for setting realistic expectations, showing respect for each individual's feelings, and learn how soon these relationships will be formed.

Ignite a love for science in your child by sending them to space camp.

Parenting on your own can be stressful, confusing and exhausting.  Here are several key do and don’t tips for single parents to help you manage your time, your kids, and your sanity.

Teach your children the importance of setting and achieving goals.

These books have been recommended by our staff and community members.

Learn how to prepare your family and home for disasters.

Discover why people are waiting until later to have kids, learn the advantages and disadvantages of becoming older parents, and get tips for overcoming some of the difficulties later in life parents face.

In Tips for Parents: Military Families, get tips for communicating, asking for the support of family and friends, making the best of each day, and get links dozens of great resources for military families.

Why magazines make great gifts for kids.

Understand why good listening skills are essential to a healthy relationship with your child.

In Tips for Parents: Latch Key Kids, learn why kids that are old enough to stay home alone still need plenty of parental involvement in their lives.

In Tips for Parents: Large Families, learn the benefits of having a large family and get tips for making sure each child feels valued and gets the attention and support he or she needs.

When parents choose not to care for their own children, or become unable to provide safe, loving care due to drug addiction, abuse, death, imprisonment or other situations, family members often step in to care for the child and prevent them from living in the foster care system. This kind of care is often called "Kinship Care."

Tips for deciding if a pet is right for your family, where to buy a pet, and teaching kids how to care for a pet responsibly.

As interracial families continue to expand faster than many other segments of the population, barriers are being broken down and many families are seizing an opportunity to teach their children and others about the value of diversity and respect.  In this Tips for Parents, discover ways to help your children develop their own unique identity, to value who they are, to learn how to respond to discrimination, and to develop respect for others.

In Tips for Parents: Immigrant Families, get tips for adjusting to American culture, understanding your responsibility to help your children succeed in school, and get links to many government programs that assist immigrant families.

Learn how setting up a Christmas budget with the kids can teach them important lessons about credit, saving, and how to find good deals at the store. 

In Tips for Parents: Having an Only Child, learn the benefits and common issues associated with having an only child.  Learn how to avoid these issues and optimize the one on one attention your child benefits from with you.

In Tips for Parents: Girls' Body Image, learn how the media significantly impacts how girls view themselves and identify ways to help them build positive self esteem and confidence by questioning the media's messages.

In Tips for Parents: Gay or Lesbian Parents, discover research about children growing up with a gay parent/parents, learn what the experts have to say about how well these children fare, get tips for raising children with gay or lesbian parents, and find links to great resources on the topic.

Foster parents provide a temporary, safe home for children in crisis and become part of the child's support, treatment, and care program. If you are interested in being a foster parent, this Tips for Parents will help you know what is involved and how to begin the process.

Where to get family-friendly movie reviews.

Understand the ways you can teach your kids about environmental education at home.

Get tips for introducing your kids to our nations' democracy and teaching them the elections process.

Tips for choosing educational gifts and games that are fun, durable, and educational.

In Tips for Parents: Divorce, learn how to break the news to your children that you're getting divorced, and get tips for making the transition, moving on, and when to seek professional help.

Understand how repeated exposure to violent media has been shown to cause aggressive behavior in kids.

In Tips for Parents: Child Care Complaints, discover how you can find out if the child care provider you are considering has any official complaints filed against them.

Celebrate book week by choosing books from the "Children's Choices" award winners.

Learn ways to help your child focus and increase their attention span.

Tips to prevent injuries related to computer use.

In Tips for Parents: Adoption, learn more about what adoption is, where to find more information about the adoption process, how to encourage bonding post adoption, and resources to help adopted children find their biological parents.

Life is stressful.  If we’re fortunate enough to have a lot of resources to tap into, such as trips to the spa, grandma always ready to take the kids, or a personal home gym—we may be better able to handle the bumps of life.  But many of us don’t have these kinds of options.  That’s where we have to get creative and find ways to de-stress using the resources we do have.  These 121 Stress Relievers will help.

A flashy website that gives parents the resources they need to gain back control over the television.  Provides information about the V-chip, cable and satellite controls, how the ratings system works, how to make rules for TV viewing in your home and how to stick to them, and public service announcements to view.  Also available in Spanish.

Featuring resources for helping kids cope with crisis.

"The Movie Mom" is a blog that reviews movies and television.  This family friendly guide grades each movie or program, lists an appropriate age, reviews the movie and offers a trailer.

Useful articles for teaching kids important money management skills.

The Dougy Center provides support in a safe place where children, teens, young adults, and their families grieving a death can share their experiences.

For teens "14 to 19 looking for a full-time, part-time, summer, seasonal, volunteer or vocational job...Membership is free of charge and allows you to search jobs, apply online, be considered for openings, and get the latest news, info and tips on how to land a job, earn money, and/or get work experience. "

With tips for new drivers in categories like driving in bad weather, crashes, fatigue, auto insurance, car products, and a Parent's Center.

"Teenagers make up about 7% of the total driving population in the US, but they are responsible for 20% of all the collisions that take place in the country. For road accidents that result in fatalities, around 14% of them are caused by teenage reckless driving. With these figures in mind, parents of teenagers who drive are becoming more concerned about the safety of their children on the road. Here are a number of websites that provide information and tips on safe teen driving."

This teen driving contract, from Toyota, includes Driving Conditions, unsupervised driving privileges, driving rules and consequences, and sample violations and related consequences. 

This site is dedicated to providing parents with the resources they need to talk to kids about anything:  sex, violence, drugs, and more.  Features 10 useful tips, free booklets, and links to other sites.

Get important tips about your child's safety, and in particular, preventing the abduction and/or sexual exploitation of children from this interactive website.

A guide from Cox that shows parents how to take charge of the television, telephone, and internet content their children see at home.

"As the #1 source for hourly and part-time employment," Snag a Job connects "job seekers with more than 100,000 active job listings from top employers across the country." 

This article helps families understand the risk of using social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook and teaches ways to be prepared to avoid attacks.

This article discusses the risks of kids using P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing networks and how to be prepared to avoid those risks.

Learn how technology is being used to bully others and get safety tips for protecting your family.

“It is the mission of RoleModel.net to promote the idea that there is within each of us the ability to inspire those around us by living a life that is more outward focused than inward focused.”  Featuring Tiger Woods, Bill Koch, Diane Sawyer, and others. 

Featuring employment opportunities, links and resources for teens.

What parents, schools and communities can do to protect kids from sexual exploitation (being raped or molested).

To help you ensure that your children are safe, NACCRRA offers resources that you can use to ask the right questions of your child care provider and play a role in planning for and recovering from any catastrophe that strikes.

Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away. The best way to make you and your family safer is to be prepared before disaster strikes.

Answers to the common questions related to paying children an allowance.

"Creating a conversation with children is an effective way to prevent underage drinking."  This "activity can be used during family meals to start conversations with children.  It’s simple. First, print off this sheet from the computer on letter size paper. Cut out the color coded “conversation starter” messages found below. Place these small slips of paper in an old mayonnaise jar in the center of the family dinner table. During the family meal, ask the children to draw slips of paper from the jar. Help the children to enjoy the activity with full family participation in answering the questions. Family dinner will start to become a place of communication for children and their parents."

This brochure teaches parents how to spend quality time with their children and be good examples to help kids avoid participating in or being victims of youth violence and gang activity.

Parent Parties create a fun and relaxed environment to present parent education and to promote parent involvement by using numerous games and activities. These resources are created by and made available through Second Mile Parent Initiative, a non-profit organization working to increase parent involvement and education in schools and communities.

Quick tips on how to save energy on the road and at home, how to save resources at home and at work, easy ways to conserve water, support organic and sustainable farming, and how to invest responsibly and act for the environment.  Also available in Spanish.

"My Wonderful World is a national campaign to give kids the power of global knowledge."  This campaign seeks to increase global awareness through geography.  With a parent action kit, links to other great resources, and "games and cool stuff" for kids. 

Visit the Met’s web page to view works of art in both their permanent  and “Now on View” collections.  Kids can check out the “Museum Kids” page for online activities and features like the “Carpet Hunt” where they can learn more about animals hidden in a carpet, or follow Marco Polo’s route. Then visit the Met store for great gift ideas

With tips and facts about children and media violence, the effects of video game playing on children, and computer and video game addiction.

The LiteracyCenter.net serves as many as 1.7 million free literacy lessons a day to children in more than a 160 countries with safe learning activities for parents and teachers to share with young children. All online lessons are free of advertising and free of charge.  Also available in Spanish, German, and French. 

Find links to government and other kids' sites -- grouped by age and subject:  math, money, science, computers, art, careers and more.

Information about internet addiction: warning signs, who is likely to develop an addiction, prevention and treatment, pornography on the internet, and safety guidelines.

According to the AAP statement, exposure to and the influence of media violence directly correlates to violent behavior. 

Helps you and your teenager develop a safe driving contract.  Also offers reports, news articles, and downloadable videos for teens and parents to watch together.

Even on vacation you need to be prepared for an emergency. This web site will help you know what you need to do, and have, to be prepared for an emergency when on vacation.

From the U.S. Department of Education Office of Communications and Outreach, these comprehensive guides provide learning activities for parents to do with their children, tips for success, other ways to help, typical child development, and additional resources. Also available in Spanish.

"The deep grief of losing a beloved parent is difficult at any age, but it can be especially traumatic for tweens, whose personal identities are just beginning form, and who -- even if they deny it -- still desperately need their moms and dads."

"For kids, how they perceive death depends on their age and cognitive development. Preschool aged kids believe death is temporary. Five to nine year olds start to realize that death is irreversible and that all living things die, but think that they are somehow immune to it. Preteens, however, fully comprehend death. "Between 9 and 12, children understand that death is inevitable and affects everyone," explains Dr. Jessica Lippman, author of Helping Children Cope With the Death of a Parent."

"Schools and communities around the country will be impacted by the loss of life associated with the war in Iraq. The effects may be significant for some people because of their emotional closeness to the war and/or their concern over terrorism. How school personnel handle the resulting distress can help shape the immediate and longer-term grieving process for students, staff, and families. Children, in particular, will need the love and support of their teachers and parents to cope with their loss and reach constructive grief resolution."

Great resources for planning family vacations, hiking trips, and campouts.

A Girl Scout website, Girls Go Tech features science games, technological career exploration, links to other interesting websites, a video competition, and a booklet with tips for parents.

Girls and Boys Town, the original Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, is a leader in the treatment and care of abused, abandoned and neglected girls and boys. Throughout its nearly 90-year history, the nonprofit, nonsectarian organization has provided these children with a safe, caring, loving environment where they gain confidence to get better and learn skills to become productive citizens.

This articles teaches families the risks involved in using the internet such as unknowingly downloading virus attacks and having unwanted or inappropriate contact with others; and also discusses ways to be prepared for what may reach kids via the internet.

“At Fun.FamilyEducation.com, you can play games with your kids in our Family Entertainment Center, find arts and crafts projects and after-school activities, and explore ideas, decorations, and homemade gifts for the holidays. Don't miss our game and toy recommendations, and our movies database!”

Math challenges for families, in both English and Spanish.

The National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) was founded in 1994 to stimulate a society-wide movement to confront the growing problem of father absence, and is dedicated to improving the well-being of children by increasing the number of children growing up with involved, committed and responsible fathers in their lives.”  Resources, events, and features such as the “Dads Club,” “Dad e-mail,” newsletters, “10 Ways to be a Better Dad,” and a fathering skills resource from the NFL bookstore. 

Understand why family time is important, the barriers many families face in spending time together, and how to set family goals.

This site provides activities for parents and children to do together for babies to 13+.  Access family activities - games, sports, crafts, music, cooking, nature and more. Find parenting tips, articles on child development and hundreds of new age-appropriate child activities each month.

A film guide website with recommended films for families, detailed reviews of movies currently in theaters, and movies recently released on video.  Charts violence, sex, nudity, profanity, and drugs/alcohol and goes into detail about what you can expect to see. 

"A website dedicated to helping busy parents find and plan family activities and make the most of their family life."

Includes a Games Rating and Descriptor Guide, and a resources page with tips and additional parenting resources. 

Links to organizations that empower girls and teach them how to be critical of the sexualizing messages they hear in the media.

Tips for preparing for hazards and protecting your family and property.  Look for the link to information in Spanish.

A website for youth in search of a cause.  Features “Hot Projects,” a celebrity page showcasing the celebs that have worked with the organization, a “Speak Out” option, and links to volunteer organizations in your area.

With a family readiness kit, tip sheets for parents, 4 step family disaster action plan, and more.

"Dictionary For Dads is a nonprofit organization that shares education, resources, and practical experiences that are fundamental in helping men make informed decisions about parenting. Our goal is to assist dads in raising happy and healthy children. The core of this effort is our dynamic online resource center at DictionaryForDads.com which features many practical articles that tackle the real situations in the world of parenting with straightforward solutions, tools and tips."

From the University of Wisconsin Madison’s School of Education.  Features author and illustrator links, a comprehensive listing of books for children and young adults, and an Intellectual Freedom department.

This website reviews common website kids visit and gives ratings based on age.

Provides family-style reviews for movies, books, games, music, TV, and web sites.  Features “Top Picks.”  Sorted by genre and age category.  Also offers a newsletter, blog, resources, and a “Take Action” department.

Specific parental control information for Comcast customers, and useful links to non-profit parental controls organizations.

This website offers information on family film festivals and movies.  Parents can train to be a CACM Juror and watch and rate movies for the coalition.  Jurors keep the movies they rate.

"Resources on all aspects of domestic and intercountry adoption, including adoption from foster care. Includes information for prospective and adoptive parents; information about searching for birth relatives; and resources for professionals on recruiting adoptive families, preparing children and youth, supporting birth parents, and providing postadoption services."

Information about choosing quality TV programming and movies.  Features a resource catalog, reading room, media and values department, professional development area, and information about media related issues from advertising and commercialism to visual literacy. Also available in Spanish.

Books for Middle school childrern on dealing with death

Books for high school students on dealing with death

Basic rules and tips you can your child should know to avoid sexual exploitation (rape or molestation.)

This website provides you with detailed information about how to prepare your family and home for emergencies.

We've got the tools for you to turn your outdoor space into an animal place.  The National Wildlife Federation will guide you through each step to make your own backyard habitat with this online planner.  Once you've created your wild space, you can have your back yard declared an official NWF wildlife habitat.

Visit the Book/Media Awards page for a huge list of recommended titles for kids, teens and adults.

From the US Department of Education, with sections on the potential of after-school programs, components of exemplary after-school programs, examples of communities meeting the need for after-school activities, and after-school resources.

Comprehensive children’s advocacy materials in English, Spanish, and some in Chinese.  Departments such as Children’s Advocate, Resources, Get Involved, and a roundtable.  The Parents and Families sections covers topics such as child abuse prevention, divorce, multicultural/diversity issues, school readiness, and welfare and poverty.