Health in Tweens and Teens - Free Parenting Resources

What youth should know about tobacco, what parents should know, and what coaches should know.  Includes reasons why smoking is dangerous and tips to help kids fight the temptation to smoke.

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.

"If your young child thinks she needs to go on a diet, it's time to have a talk. "

Tips and common child safety rules.

What you should know about Visual Processing Disorders, and warning signs by age.  From the National Center for Learning Disabilities.

Tips for spotting early vision problems such as amblyopia and strabismus (often called "lazy eyes" or "wandering eyes").  Includes a vision checklist, common vision exams, and children's visual development.

Why choosing a vision expert that specializes in children's vision is important.

Learn how to be sure your child's vision doesn't interfere with their learning. 

How to be certain your child's vision isn't interfering with learning.

Help teens develop healthy eating habits.

Help your child cope with stress.

The link between nutrition and learning.

The healthier your child is, the more successful he/she will be in school.

Kids are getting high off dangerous chemicals at home.

Learn how to give your kids the nutrition they need to stay focused in school.

Identify the signs of dyslexia.

Rules to keep your children bicycle-safe.

Risk factors for AIDS and what kids need to be taught about prevention.

Tips to help students understand their own vulnerability to AIDS.

Understand the role friendship plays in AIDS prevention.

Find out how HIV/AIDS education might not give kids the info they need to protect themselves.

The USDA website has many articles dealing with food,eating healthy, teaching healthy eating, eating disorders etc.

Links to nutrition service programs, nutrition activities and games for kids, nutrition information for parents, data and statistics, food safety information, and grant information.  Also available in Spanish.

Learn why adolescents drink, what the risks are, and how underage drinking can be prevented.  A free publication from the US Department of Health and Human Services. 

The Tool Kit brings together the most current and accurate information, including research briefs and resources designed to improve instruction, assessment, and accountability for students with disabilities in a format that is easy to access and to understand. The Tool Kit will assist state personnel, schools, and families in their efforts to ensure that all students with disabilities receive a quality education.

Discover the link between vision and learning.

Children between the ages of 10 and 12, popularly called "tweens," have changing physical and emotional needs.  Learn more about what you can expect and how you can support your child during their tween years.

Identify the stresses teens face and learn ways to help them cope.

Important tips for accessing special education programs.

What sexual harassment is, who it affects most, and why it's important to report it.

Identify the stressors your child faces and learn healthy ways to deal with stress.

In Tips for Parents: Puberty Begins in Girls Earlier, discover that girls are beginning puberty at an earlier age.  Get tips and resources for preparing your daughter (and yourself) for her changing body.

Signs and symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a mental disorder that makes a child have obsessive thoughts about germs, cleanliness, safety or school success.  These thoughts often cause them to do compulsive, ritualistic behaviors such as hand washing, checking doors or appliances, or saying particular phrases or questions over and over.

Discover the link between nutrition and learning.

Get your kids the HIV education they need before it's too late.

Identify some of the signs of dyslexia and how to get the extra help your child needs. 

Tips to prevent injuries related to computer use.

Make sure your child receives the AIDS education that they really need.

From the US Department of Education.

"Kids who learn about the risks of drugs are up to 50% less likely to use.  Time to Talk is an online community, resource and toolkit to help parents connect with their kids."

Provided by the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, this information sheet answers questions like “How does the school breakfast program work?” and “What are the nutritional requirements for school breakfasts?”

Publications, resources, advocacy, facts and more about children's disabilities.  Also available in Spanish.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University is the only nation-wide organization that brings together under one roof all the professional disciplines needed to study and combat abuse of all substances – alcohol, nicotine as well as illegal, prescription and performance enhancing drugs – in all sectors of society.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Parent’s Information page.  With “Ten Tips for Parents to Help their Children Avoid Teen Pregnancy”, advice, the importance of parent/teen communication, and public service announcements. Also available in Spanish. 

“Mayo Clinic's three main Web sites provide information and services from the world's first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group medical practice. Manage your health with information and tools that reflect the expertise of Mayo's 2,500 physicians and scientists, learn how to access medical services, and discover Mayo's medical research and education offerings.”

We believe all children must have access to healthy food to grow their bodies, minds and future. We must feed their knowledge while also providing wholesome sustenance to their physical needs. The tools for feeding such change must be equally available to all schools no matter their geography, budget or situation. The relationship children have with food will evolve into a virtuous circle benefiting not just themselves but our society as a whole

Pages for educators, adults, college students, parents, and teens.  Offers fact sheets, questions and answers, research, assistive technology resources, and a discussion forum.

The Foundation’s mission:  “To redefine the potential of children with developmental and communication challenges by making the DIR/Floortime model broadly available.”  With resources and information about autism and related disorders for parents, professionals, and the community. 

Why you need to talk, teaching your son or daughter to say "no," talking about healthy relationships, sex and risky youth behaviors, and more.

Tips for keeping the competition fun and healthy. Also available in Spanish.

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

This website discusses how media has an impact on our teens and tweens.

"Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) and attention-deficit disorder (ADHD)."

Things to consider before you sign your child up for sports.  Includes video advice from Cal Ripkin. 

Factual information you can give to your child about boys and puberty, girls and puberty, reproductive health care and pregnancy.

"Sex education by teens, for teens."  Including topics such as girls' and guys' health, deciding about sex, STD's, teen parenting and more.  The Learning Community recommends parents preview this site and approve the content before recommending it to their tween or teen.

With information about sex, STD’s, HIV/AIDS prevention, pregnancy, abstinence, and gay and lesbian resources.

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.

This nonprofit website, created by Rachel Ray, offers parents and kids recipes, cooking and shopping tips for creating healthy and affordable kid-friendly dishes.

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

Publications from the President’s fitness council.  Nutrition advice, fast facts, tips, and a Nolan Ryan fitness guide. 

Physical Activity for Everyone: Recommendations for young people from the Centers for Disease Control.

"If you're a student with a learning disability, many challenges lie ahead of you, including researching and selecting a college that best suits your requirements. Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities or ADD highlights more than 1,100 two- and four-year institutions in the U.S. and Canada that offer programs for students like you."

If you can't afford to buy this book new, look for it on used book sites online such as amazon.com or ebay.com, or ask your local library.

For kids and teens.  An interactive site including profiles of people with eating disorders, an eating disorders test, facts, and tips for healthy body image, eating, and exercise.

With stories, videos, blogs, articles, and research for parents and teens; this site exposes people to the horrors of drug addiction and offers users hope with links to intervention and treatment.  Also features a memorial for those lost to drug abuse.

This site offers a host of really useful materials for teachers and parents to talk to kids about alcohol use and to help them make smart decisions while out with their friends.  Resources include responses to frequently asked questions, a conversation jar--a conversation and family activity starter, a prevention brochure in Spanish and English, teaching tools, fact sheets, and much more. 

"Oregon Partnership is a statewide nonprofit promoting healthy kids and communities through drug and alcohol awareness, drug preventionprograms, and 24 hour crisis lines for treatment referrals and suicide prevention and intervention. We work with schools and community coalitions statewide, and our resource library is open to all to educate on the dangers of substance abuse."

“Providing easy, online access to government information on food and human nutrition for consumers.”  Offers an “In the News” feature, and subject headings such as “What’s in Food?”  “Shopping, Cooking, and Meal Planning,” and “Food Assistance Programs.”  Also available in Spanish.

With information from exercises, myths, and recipes to recommended daily allowances, a nutri-quiz, and a health forum. Also available in Spanish and German.

From the National Institute on Drug Abuse, this guide provides the facts about drugs, health hazards of use, how extensively each drug is abused, and information sources.  Also available in Spanish.

The “hows” and “whats” of the national school lunch program.  Published by the US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.

Featuring “Safety and Health Magazine,” online safety courses, a comprehensive resource center with safety issues, fact sheets, a library, and research and statistics.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  A detailed booklet that describes the symptoms, causes, and treatments; with information on getting help and coping. 

Comprehensive information about the signs, symptoms and types of eating disorders, as well as information about causes, prevention, body image, research, resources, and much more.  Search by topic or audience.

Missing Kids wants, "to help you protect your children by teaching them to be smarter and safer. The best way to combat child exploitation and abduction is to prevent it. Please use our site to learn what you and your children need to know about protecting them from victimization."

NCLD’s parenting center offers tips and strategies on ways to help children with LD, essential skills to become your child’s advocate, steps to building resilience in children, and more. 

Follow the “Helpful Information” link for articles and fact sheets on parenting, mental health, diversity, kids activities, and more.

This kit "Is designed for teenagers and their leaders to step in and make a difference through community service or service-learning."

My Child Safety is a safety guide website for parents.  Get safety tips on a variety of topics such as child safety devices, water safety, internet safety, bullying, babysitting and more.

Meth360 offers free community education programs to educate about the dangers of meth and prevent it's addictive spread through communities.

Nearly a quarter of high school students in the U.S. smoke cigarettes. Another 8% use smokeless tobacco. Smoking has many health risks for everyone. However, the younger you are when you start smoking, the more problems it can cause. For example:

• People who start smoking before the age of 21 have the hardest time quitting.
• About 30% of youth smokers will continue smoking and die early from a smoking-related disease.
• Teen smokers are more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs.
• They are more likely to have panic attacks, anxiety disorders and depression.

Parents and other adults who work with children can help by warning them of the risks of smoking. They can also set a good example by not smoking themselves.  This resource offers more information about teens and smoking and links to other helpful sites.

Let's Move! has an ambitious but important goal: to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation. 

Let’s Move will give parents the support they need, provide healthier food in schools, help our kids to be more physically active, and make healthy, affordable food available in every part of our country.

With three separate sites.  The parent site offers “Practical parenting, information, and news,” the kids’ site features “Homework help and how the body works,” and the teen site details “Answers, advice, and straight talk” about teen health issues.  Also available in Spanish.

"Teens and tweens develop eating disorders for reasons from personality to genes. Learn the common triggers and if your child is at risk. "

"Teens and tweens develop eating disorders for reasons from personality to genes. Learn the common triggers and if your child is at risk. "

CDC’s National Immunization Project—“Interactive Childhood Immunization Scheduler.”  Includes useful links for more information. 

A one stop resource for health information.  The site is divided into four main areas:  Diseases and Conditions, Healthy Lifestyle, Your Health, and Look it Up. With information for men, women, children, and the aged; also features dental information, an “Ask the Expert" area, and interactive tools such as the exciting “A Look at Your Colon,” a “Ball Park Chow” game, and a depression self-assessment.  Featuring Harvard Medical School's consumer health information.

Includes a list of recommended immunizations by age, reasons for and against routine vaccination, descriptions of each vaccine, and more.

Understand the types of eating disorders and their warning signs.

Includes a “Summary of Adolescent and School Health Tools,” health topics like asthma, skin cancer, and sexually transmitted diseases, publications, statistics, articles, and more.

Learn how becoming a vegetarian helps your health, the environment, and animal cruelty.  Get tips for going vegetarian, recipes, and more.

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.

The Federation is a center for parents and parent organizations to work together on behalf of children with special needs and their families.

Featuring videos, audio stories, comprehensive sections such as “What to Know,” and “What to Say,” setting rules, and tons of other useful information.  From the US Department of Health and Human Services SAMHSA.

Adult, teen, children and infant assistive technology and games for hearing, vision, mobility, communication, and learning disabilities.  Low price guarantee.

"What do I need to know about eating disorders?"

With an introduction and warning signs by age.  Dyspraxia interferes with motor skills development.  From the National Center for Learning Disabilities.

With an introduction and warning signs by age.  Dyslexia causes difficulty with reading, writing, and spelling.  From the National Center for Learning Disabilities.

With an introduction and warning signs by age.  Dysgraphia interferes with written expression.  From the National Center for Learning Disabilities.

In this .pdf document, learn how scientific understanding of drug abuse is leading to "effective prevention and treatment approaches that reduce the toll drug abuse takes on individuals, families, and communities."  Includes "Preventing Drug Abuse: The Best Strategy" and much more.

From How-to-Study.com, this resource includes a checklist for identifying test anxiety, and tips on what you can do to relax for that next test.

"In addition to our informative Web site, CHADD also publishes a variety of printed materials to keep members and professionals current on research advances, medications and treatments affecting individuals with AD/HD. These materials include Attention! magazine, the CHADD Information and Resource Guide to AD/HD, News From CHADD, a free electronically mailed current events newsletter, as well as other publications of specific interest to educators, professionals and parents."

Indiana University’s online directory with links to information on conflict and violence, mental health issues, health and safety, a teens only page, publications, and additional resources.

"In a recent Breastcancer.org survey of 2,500 girls ages 8-18, nearly 30% believed they might currently have breast cancer...To deflate unrealistic fears, young girls living in the breast-cancer-awareness era need accurate information and reassurance."  With a video, school assembly program, and links to Dr. Weiss's book Taking Care of  Your "Girls".

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

Learn what autism is, as well as diagnosis, treatment, your child's rights, and autism and your family.

From Teens Health, this article is targeted to teenagers.  A snapshot of what anxiety can look like.

Learn which restaurants and kids menu items offer your child the best nutrition.  You might be surpised!  You can also find the link to purchase the bestselling book, Eat This, Not That! For Kids by David Zinczenko and David Goulding.

This is the youth fitness homepage of the American Council on Exercise.  Features pre-school, children and teen fitness facts, a Q&A, exercise programs and other resources. 

This site has a parenting corner with featured topics and parenting resources, hundreds of symptoms, treatment and prevention articles for everything from abuse to working parents, and safety tips to prevent injury and illness.

Advocates for Teen and Tween Parents’ Sex Ed Center. Includes “10 Tips for Talking about the Facts of Life”, growth and development information, and a “Favorite Features” section.

For parents and caregivers, “Equip yourself with important tips, facts, and education to provide your child with the support and care needed.”

From the New York University Study Center.  The website focuses on children’s mental health with featured articles like “Does My Child Worry Too Much?” and  “Early Child Development: The First Five Years.”

From Schwab Learning--The site offers a number of topics to help parents of children with learning disabilities such as “Identifying Difficulties”, “Managing School and Learning”, and “Connecting with Others”.  With a comprehensive resource page, and publications including “Expert Answers” and tips.

• “Who is this kid?”
• “Why does my teen do that?”
• ”What can I do?”

Through the use of video, interactive segments, scenario-based role-playing experiences, and practical advice from experts, A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain explores the science behind teenage brain development and how it shapes normal teenage attitude and behavior. Find tools and tips – all designed to help you connect with your teen. Gain insights into teen brain development and apply your new knowledge of normal teenage behavior to real life.

"When a snack attack strikes, refuel with these nutrition-packed snacks. Easy, tasty (and healthy) snacks."

The 20th Annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study on Teen Drug Abuse.