Teens
About Your Teen
Parenting a teenager can be like riding on a roller coaster. There are ups and downs and at times you'll want to get off.
Teenagers may look like full-grown adults, but their brains and bodies are still growing and maturing. These changes may lead to risk-taking behaviour – such as substance use and abuse – and changes in mood. Teenagers are also still getting used to the physical changes their bodies go through in puberty.
When parenting a teenager, it helps to understand the social and emotional pressures that come with peer pressure, fitting in and the beginning of dating or intimate relationships. Learn how positive and healthy discipline can encourage responsible and healthy behaviour, and if you are having trouble with behaviour or your relationship with your teenager, learn where to turn for help.
Communication with parents and caregivers is important for teenagers as they deal with concerns that might range from sexuality and bullying to keeping on track of homework and part-time jobs. It may seem as if you hardly see your teenager – compared to the preschooler he or she once was – but you are still the person who can have the most impact on his or her life.