Family and Relationships | Teen Help - Parenting of Teenagers

Time to Tighten Up the Family Rules

Limits and rules are necessary to create order and productivity, the lack of which create chaos and confusion. Rules provide the basis of understanding for what is expected, whether in the workplace, classroom, community or family. If a classroom had…

What is a Home Rules Contract? A home rules contract is a written set of expectations that adults have of their teens (and preteens). The contract includes basic rules, consequences and privileges. What is the Purpose of a Home Rules…

Half the fun of any trip is getting there, right? Well, maybe not if you envision mile after mile of whining, choruses of “are we there yet” or refereeing backseat battles. But it doesn’t have to be a dreaded experience.…

For some parents, this season is merry and bright. For others, it’s like the “Santa gone wrong” photo with kids screaming and Santa looking like he needs a serious vacation. If your holiday is starting to look more like the…

In today’s uber-connected culture it seems everyone from preschoolers to baby boomers are glued to phones, tablets, laptops, and a whole host of other techno-gadgetry. There’s certainly a place for that in our busy lives –those tools are necessary components…

Two minutes after you see a blur of Oliver and Emma scream through the hallway, you hear a major crash in the living room. Immediately, you start berating the kids for running in the house. You head into the room,…

Many adopted kids seem to have more than their fair share of issues when they reach the adolescent years. Some can seem to turn on the very people who rescued them years before, their adopted parents. Why is that? Here's…

Ahh, summer vacation. What could be better than the all-American, old-fashioned family road trip with kids? Not much…until the whining starts. Before you reach for the earplugs, try one of these fun solutions to keep your kids happy and you…

Is it your goal in life to be your child’s best friend? If so, that’s honorable. But do you sometimes allow your friendship to take precedence over being a good parent? Out there on the far end of the relational…

Let’s be honest. We love our kids to pieces, right? But parenting is exhausting – especially when we add in sports, extracurricular activities, family obligations, keeping the house in order, getting a semi-decent meal on the table, our own jobs…

As parents, we’ve all been there. We’ve tried to lovingly craft a meal that’s different and healthy for our kids only to be met with a resounding "ewwwww….” from across the table. It can feel discouraging and sometimes even impossible…

Focusing On What Is Important To Your Teen As a person, you no doubt understand the joy of others paying attention to things that matter to you. It feels good to discuss your passions with others, sharing some of the…

The relationship between siblings is one of the most significant contacts in a person’s life. Studies show that sibling relationships are by far the longest-lasting familial connections in a person’s life, outlasting the bond between people and their grandparents or…

Parents of teenagers need to get out of the way and allow their kids to bend in the winds of life a little more. Through that gentle buffeting they’ll gain strength and wisdom to stand upright and flourish as adults.…

Our world has become smaller and smaller, in part, because today’s technology helps us communicate in ways we never dreamed possible. On the other hand, there is still a big, wonderful world out there beyond our smartphones and tablets, filled…