Parenting be like…well you know, parenting. It’s the most terrifying, rewarding work many of us will ever do, and there’s no instruction manual. You get out and there and go, no matter how clueless you may be along the way.
We’ve learned that the “it takes a village” adage goes both ways. It takes a village to raise kids and support parents in rearing children.
*This is where you nod your head or release an audible “amen” at the revelation of how much we understand our readers*
To support parents in their parenting, we’ve compiled a list of resources, specifically for parents of tweens, to help make your village a little stronger.
Puberty Resources
Middle school is an awkward time. One minute your baby girl is wearing bows to school; the next, she wakes up with boobs. Imagine how she must feel if you felt discombobulated by her rapid changes.
The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine offers these resources for parenting middle school teens.
- HealthyChildren.Org: Sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, this website provides a wide-range of resources on puberty, including delayed puberty, precocious puberty, and normal physical development. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/puberty/Pages/default.aspx
- FamilyDoctor.Org: Operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians, this website provides scientifically accurate information from a family medicine perspective on puberty of teenagers. http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/teens/puberty-sexuality.html
- Kids Health: This website offers information for parents about what to expect as a child grows including menstrual problems, talking about puberty, and growth charts. http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/growth
- Planned Parenthood: Puberty 101 for Parents provides tools and information for parents about what to expect for girls and boys and how to talk to their child about puberty and changes to their body. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/parents/puberty-101-for-parents
Different strokes for different folks
Resources for raising a son(s)
- It’s a Boy! Your Son’s Development from Birth to Age 18 by Michael Thompson and Teresa Barker (2008)
- Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson (2000)
- Real Boys: Rescuing our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood by William Pollack (1999)
Resources for raising a daughter(s)
- Full of Ourselves: A Wellness Program to Advance Girl Power, Health, and Leadership by Catherine Steiner-Adair and Lisa Sjostrom (2005)
- Odd Girl Out, Revised and Updated: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls by Rachel Simmons (2011)
- Queen Bees and Wannabees: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boys, and the New Realities of Girl World, 3rd Edition by Rosalind Wiseman (2016)
- Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour (2016)
Depression
Kids Health advises that if you suspect your teen is depressed, talk to them and assure them that you want to help. Here’s a helpful article for more on that. Is anxiety more the issue? Try this one too.
Emergencies
- Georgia Crisis & Access Line
- 1(800)715-4225 http://www.mygcal.com The Georgia Crisis & Access Line is staffed with professional social workers and counselors 24 hours per day, every day to assist those with urgent and emergency needs.
- National Suicide Hotline
- 1-800-273-TALK (8255) www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
- Not sure whom to call in Georgia?
- 1-800-Georgia (1-800-436-7442) is a toll-free service for citizens who are seeking state services but don’t know who to call.
- National Center for Victims of Crime
- (202) 467-8700 www.ncvc.org Provides referral services to victims and information on all issues dealing with the criminal justice system.
Not sure what you need? Click here for a miscellaneous list of parenting teen resources from the Georgia Juvenile Department of Justice.
Parents, your well-being is just as important as your child’s. Make sure you’re creating a village for yourself and get the help you need when you need it!
