Helpful Links
Links for Parents and Educators of Preteens and Teens
Resources Comprehensive Sex Education
Sexuality Information Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) Developmental Guidelines
“The Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education, developed by a national task force of experts in the fields of adolescent development, health care, and education, provide a framework of the key concepts topics, and messages that all sexuality education programs would ideally include.”
“AMAZE harnesses the power of digital media to provide young adolescents around the globe with medically accurate, age-appropriate, affirming, and honest sex education they can access directly online—regardless of where they live or what school they attend.”
“Advocates for Youth partners with young people and their adult allies to champion youth rights to bodily autonomy and build power to transform policies, programs and systems to secure sexual health and equity for all youth.”
Seattle Public Schools Videos
“Nemours® KidsHealth® was founded in 1995. Since then, Nemours KidsHealth articles, videos, animations, print publications, and health instructions have had billions of visits. Nemours KidsHealth is the most-viewed site for dependable information on children’s health, behavior, and development from before birth through the teen years.”
Tools for Parents – Planned Parenthood
Talk with your Kids: California Family Health Council (English)
Talk with your Kids: California Family Health Council (Spanish)
The Importance of Access to Comprehensive Sex Education – American Academy of Pediatrics
Resources for sexuality education for youth on the autism spectrum – Planned Parenthood
“Parents can tailor sexuality and relationship education to the specific needs of children on the spectrum and help their kids make good social choices, accept themselves, manage isolation and connect with others in meaningful ways. “
Healthy Bodies Toolkit – Resources for Youth with Disabilities
“The Healthy Bodies Toolkit contains a Parent’s Guide on Puberty for Boys with Disabilities and a Parent’s Guide for Girls with Disabilities. This publication was developed and written by Vanderbilt Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND).”
Young Men’s Health: Boston Children’s Hospital
“A Parent’s Guide on Puberty for Boys with Disabilities”
Young Women’s Health: Boston Children’s Hospital
“A Parent’s Guide on Puberty for Girls with Disabilities”
Resources on Gender
Seattle Children’s Hospital Gender Clinic Resources for Families
“Every person and every family have different values. Not every book on this list will be a good fit for you and your family. A variety of language is used. These are books that some of our patients and families have found useful”
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Gender Clinic Resources
“This multidisciplinary clinic provides medical services for gender nonconforming youths and their families in one central location. The expert members of the Gender Clinic team consists of providers from pediatric endocrinology, adolescent medicine, pediatric urology and social services, supporting each child’s or adolescent’s gender identity.”
LGBTQIA
The Trevor Project’s mission is to end suicide among LGBTQ young people
Founded in 1973, PFLAG is the first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families.
Mental and Behavioral Health
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health
4 week online course for teens to learn mindfulness
Seattle Children’s Hospital Mental Health Child and Teen
“Just like your child’s physical health, your child’s mental health changes over time, getting better or worse. We can help our children build habits that help them be mentally healthy, in the same way that we teach them habits such as brushing their teeth, eating nutritious food and getting proper exercise to help them be physically healthy.”
“The Child Mind Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need to thrive.
We’re the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health, operating three Mission Areas that work together for greater impact: Care, Education and Science.”
Adolescent Substance Use
Teen Brain Development, Teen Behavior, and Preventing Drug Abuse
“The nation’s leading organization dedicated to addiction prevention, treatment and recovery, we are a diverse community of researchers, advocates, clinicians, communicators and more.”
General Parenting Preteen/Teen
Lisa Damour PhD
Expert on Adolescence – articles, podcast, books, newsletter
“Dr. Laura Markham founded Aha! Parenting to support YOU to create a more peaceful home — and happy, responsible, considerate kids.”
Making Caring Common Resources for Families
“Making Caring Common is a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. We believe that young people with these capacities will become community members and citizens who can strengthen our democracy, mend the fractures that divide us, and create a more caring, just world.”
“We use brain science to spark understanding, and stitch science to practical strategies for raising connected and courageous kids online and offline.”
Healthy Children: American Academy of Pediatrics
Resources on Media
Common Sense Media Resources for Parents
“We believe in media that inspires and entertains families of all kinds. In technology that protects privacy and supports communities. In learning tools that prepare students and teachers for success in a connected world. Discover how we’re working to make the digital world better for kids and families.”
Common Sense Media Ultimate Guide
“The Social Institute (TSI) offers a gamified, online learning platform that empowers students to navigate their social world positively — including social media and technology — to fuel their health, happiness, and future success.”
Resources on Nutrition
Great Conversations Presents: Body Talk
“In collaboration with Opal Food and Body Wisdom, Great Conversations is now offering a pre-recorded class just for adults to learn the best science-based strategies to talk about food and movements with your pre-teen.”
Links for Older Teens
On General Health Topics and Sexuality Topics
Go Ask Alice: Columbia University
“The Go Ask Alice! site is supported by a team of Columbia University health promotion specialists, health care providers, and other health professionals, along with a staff of information and research specialists and writers. Our team members have advanced degrees in public health, health education, medicine, counseling, and a number of other relevant fields.”
Teen Health Information – Nemours
“Our hospital in Delaware is ranked by U.S. News & World Report in five specialties.”
News Articles
The New York Times: “The Best Way to Fight with a Teenager,” by LISA DAMOUR – MARCH 16, 2016
QUARTZ: “The World Has Teenage Girls Totally Wrong,” by JENNY ANDERSON – MAY 5, 2016
The New York Times: “Why Teenage Girls Roll Their Eyes,” by LISA DAMOUR – FEBRUARY 17, 2016
Mindful: “3 Common Myths About the Teen Brain,” by STEPHANY TLALKA – APRIL 9, 2014
Scientific American: “How Dads Influence Teens’ Happiness,” by PAUL RAEBURN – MAY 1, 2014
The New York Times: “When Did Porn Become Sex Ed?,” by PEGGY ORENSTEIN – MARCH 19, 2016
UW Today: “Family Technology Rules: What Kids Expect of Parents,” by JENNIFER LANGSTON – MARCH 8, 2016
Huffington Post Parents: “What The Modern-Day Sex Talk Should Sound Like, According To The Latest Research,” by REBECCA ADAMS – NOVEMBER 18, 2014
TEDx Talks: “Eight is Great: Melisa Holmes at TEDxGreenville 2014”
The New York Times: “Parents of Teenagers, Stuck Taking Out the Emotional Trash,” by LISA DAMOUR – DECEMBER 16, 2015
