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Parents & Caregivers

Home : Parents & Caregivers : Relationships

Relationships : en Español

Helpful tools for your daughter

Learning how to build healthy relationships is an important part of growing up. Talk to your daughter about the issues she may face in building relationships. Be a good role model for her. The resources in this section cover a range of topics, including healthy dating, building relationships in the community, helping your daughter deal with divorce or a move, and helping her find a mentor. Tools for your daughter include quizzes on safety and relationships and interactive tips for handling fights with sisters or brothers.

Featured articles

  1. A Parent’s Guide to Surviving the Teen Years
  2. Connecting with your Preteen
  3. Communication and Your 13-18 Year Old
  4. Community Service: A Family's Guide to Getting Involved
  5. Helping Kids Cope with Cliques
  6. Helping Your Child Through a Divorce
  7. Preparing Your Child for a New Sibling
  8. Sibling Rivalry
  9. Tips for Divorcing Parents

Web sitesmother and teenage girl

  1. Federal resource 4Parents.gov - Your children need you to guide them in making smart choices about their health and future. 4Parents.gov is a guide to help you and your pre-teen or mid teen discuss important, yet difficult, issues about healthy choices, abstinence, sex and relationships.
  2. Federal resource girlshealth.gov: Relationships - We have created the girlshealth.gov section on relationships to help adolescent girls learn more about some of the unique health issues and social situations they will encounter during the teen years. This section provides information, resources, and links to help your daughter learn more about relationships.
  3. Can We Talk? - From the National Education Association Health Information Network, this program is designed to help parents talk with their children about healthy relationships and sexuality, including the prevention of pregnancy, HIV/STDs, drug abuse, and violence.
  4. Talking with Kids About Tough Issues - This web site from the Kaiser Family Foundation and Children Now is aimed at fostering communication between parents/caregivers and children. The site covers topics ranging from sex to violence and from HIV/AIDS to drugs and alcohol.

Publications

  1. A Parent's Guide to Teen Parties (Copyright © American Academy of Pediatrics) – Worried about your teens attending parties that could lead to trouble? This resource give suggestions on what to do when your teen is invited to a party or when you are hosting one.

    http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/pages/A-Parents-Guide-To-Teen-Parties.aspx
  2. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Difficult Peer Relationships – This fact sheet discusses how ADHD interferes with a child's development and a child’s relationship with peers.

    http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/conditions.html#peer
  3. Adobe PDF  But Everyone's Doing It... (Copyright © University of Minnesota) – "But everyone’s doing it!" Chances are that you have heard that phrase before. This resource talks about helping your teen make good choices even under peer pressure.

    http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/familydevelopment/components/08211factSheet.pdf
  4. Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters: What Parents Can Do – This publication discusses what trauma is and lists ways that parents can help their children cope with it in the wake of violence and disaster.

    http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/helping-children-and-adolescents-cope-with-violence-and-disasters-parents/index.shtml
  5. Helping Teenagers with Stress (Copyright © American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – It is easy for teens to feel overwhelmed if they are unable to cope with stress. This publication provides guidance on how parents and guardians can help their children effectively manage stress.

    http://aacap.org/page.ww%3Fname%3DHelping%2BTeenagers%2Bwith%2BStress%26section%3DFacts%2Bfor%2BFamilies
  6. Helping Your Child Become a Responsible Citizen – This booklet provides information on the values and skills that make up character and good citizenship. It also discusses what you can do to help your child develop a strong character.

    http://www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/citizen/index.html
  7. How to Talk to Your Children About Developing Healthy Relationships (Copyright © Liz Claiborne, Inc.) – This online handbook is part of “Love Is Not Abuse,” a public awareness and educational campaign.

    http://www.loveisnotabuse.com/web/guest/parents-of-teens
  8. Managing Conflict During Divorce (Copyright © American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy) – This article discusses ways to promote healthy relationships with children despite a divorce.

    http://www.aamft.org/imis15/Content/Consumer_Updates/Managing_Conflict_During_Divorce.aspx.aspx
  9. Not Just "The Talk" (Copyright © National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy) – The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy features fact sheets, blogs, and other resources to help you talk to your teen. It includes topics such as what a healthy relationship looks like.

    http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/parents/default.aspx
  10. Parenting Corner Q&A: Friends (Copyright © American Academy of Pediatrics) – This fact sheet discusses how parents can help their children choose good friends to build healthy relationships.

    http://www.aap.org/publiced/BK5_Friends.htm
  11. Adobe PDF  Talking Back: Ten Things Teens Want Parents to Know About Teen Pregnancy (Copyright © National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy) – The following tips represent the major themes that teens want to hear about from parents and other important adults. This guide offers guidance on preventing teen pregnancy.

    http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/pubs/talking_back.pdf
  12. Why It Matters (Copyright © National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy) – This website features multiple fact sheets that focus on teen pregnancy and the prevention of unwanted births. It explains the links between teen pregnancies and aspects like social issues, education, and violence.

    http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/why-it-matters/default.aspx
  13. Why Should We Talk (Copyright © Don't Tell My Parents) – Letting your teen know that she can talk to you about anything is the first step in connecting with your child. This resource gives tips on how to start the conversation with your teen.

    http://www.donttellmyparents.org/parents/

Organizations

  1. Administration for Children and Families

    http://www.acf.hhs.gov/
  2. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

    http://www.aamft.org/iMIS15/AAMFT/
  3. Children's Rights Council

    http://www.crckids.org/
  4. KidsHealth

    http://kidshealth.org/
  5. Office of Population Affairs, OPHS, OS, HHS

    http://www.hhs.gov/opa/
  6. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

    http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx%3Fpid%3D194%26srcid%3D-2
  7. Points of Light Foundation

    http://pointsoflight.org/

 

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Content last updated November 11, 2007

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health.

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