Ages 10 to 18

Teenagers

I keep looking for the child who left.

24 articles. Read one, try its small step for a week, and notice what changes.

Before you talk Phone agreement

A mother and her teenage son standing arm in arm at home, both in sunglasses

Why Did My Teenager Stop Telling Me Things?Why teenagers may stop telling parents things, and why more questions may close the door further. What research suggests about what teens choose to share.
Should I Check My Teenager's Phone?Checking a teen's phone in secret may cost more trust than it gains. What research suggests about privacy, safety and what teens choose to tell, and when safety comes first.
My Teenager Argues About Everything: What HelpsFive common beliefs about arguing teenagers, set beside what research suggests. Why constant debate may be part of growing up, and how to keep it from becoming war.
My Teen Stays in Their Room All Day: Should I Worry?A teenager behind a closed door can be healthy privacy or a sign of trouble. Two lists to tell the difference, and ways to stay close without forcing the door open.
My Teenage Daughter Says She Hates Me"I hate you" from a teenage daughter can cut deep. A letter to the parent who heard it, about what the words may mean, what may help, and when to worry.
Disrespectful Teenager: Eye Rolls, Tone and Slammed DoorsThe sigh, the eye roll, the slammed door. Where ordinary teenage attitude ends and real disrespect begins, what to say, what to let pass, and how to keep respect without losing your teenager.
My Teenager Seems Lost: Committed One Week, Gone the NextCommitted one week, gone the next. Why a teenager can seem lost, the mistake many parents make by searching for the child who left, and how to help a teen draw their own identity from a distance.
Teen Mood Swings: What Is Normal and When to WorryLaughing in the morning, slamming doors by evening, in tears at bedtime. Common beliefs about teenage mood swings set beside what research suggests, and how to tell normal ups and downs from something more.
Why Does My Teenager Lie About Where They Were?"I was at Sam's." But Sam's mum says they weren't. A calm guide for parents of teenagers who lie about where they go, why it happens, and a simple going-out agreement that builds safety and trust together.
Teenage Dating: How to Talk to Your Teen About RelationshipsA name that keeps coming up, a phone that never leaves their hand, a first heartbreak. What to say, and what to avoid, when your teenager starts dating, so you stay someone they can talk to.
How Parents' Relationship Shapes Teenagers' Views on LoveTeenagers study their parents' relationship closely. Questions parents ask about what teens learn about love, respect and conflict from home, and what to do if you're not proud of what they've seen.
Teenager Won't Talk to You? Small Ways to ReconnectOne-word answers, a closed bedroom door, headphones always on. Before and after examples of everyday moments with a teenager who has gone quiet, and small ways to keep the door open without forcing it.
"What's the Point of School?" When Your Teenage Son AsksYour teenage son asks why he should study at all. Why a speech won't answer him, what I did when my own son asked, and how to help a teenager find a reason of his own.
Should My Teenager Get a Job? What Work Teaches That Lectures Can'tWhy a holiday job, even a simple one, can teach a teenager more than years of advice: keeping to times, handling money, and knowing where money comes from and where it goes.
Your Teenage Daughter Needs an Embrace at Home. If She Doesn't Find It There, She Will Look OutsideA teenage girl who doesn't find warmth, respect and a voice at home will look for them outside, and that is where the danger is. What the mother gives, what the father gives, and what both must never do.
My Daughter Is Fine at School and Falls Apart at Home. Why?Her teachers say she is no trouble. At home she cries, snaps or lies on her bed for an hour. Why many teenage girls hold it together all day, and what parents can do in the first hour after school.
When Your Daughter Says "I'm So Stupid"Your teenage daughter calls herself stupid, ugly or a mess over small things. Why arguing doesn't work, why agreeing is worse, and how a light joke can take the weight out of it.
My Daughter Replays One Comment All Night: Teenage Girls and FriendshipsOne word from a friend can ruin a teenage girl's day and keep her awake at night. Why friendships feel so high-stakes at this age, why you need to know her friends, and a simple rule for the night.
Teenagers and Sleep: The Fight Hiding Under Other FightsMany morning fights, homework fights and short tempers in teenagers are sleep fights in disguise. How much sleep teens need, why their body clock runs late, and what the adults can change first.
My Teenager Talks to a Chatbot: Phones, Social Media and the Rules at HomeMost teenagers now use chatbots as well as social media, and many are online almost constantly. What the numbers say, what a chatbot can't be for your child, and five rules that work better when the adults keep them too.
My Daughter and Her Body: What to Say, and What Never to SayTeenage girls compare their bodies to everyone, online and off. Why home must be the one place she hears she is beautiful, how to encourage care without criticism, and the signs that need a doctor.
Your Teenager's First Crush, and First HeartbreakA first crush can come at ten or at sixteen, and a first breakup can hurt like a real loss. What to say before, during and after, and why a teen who finds warmth at home looks for it less outside.
My Teenager Refuses to Give Up the Phone. What Now?It's the agreed time and your teenager won't hand over the phone. Why you should never wrestle for it, how to switch the internet off instead, and the consequence that comes after.
How Much Freedom Should a 15-Year-Old Have?Going out at weekends, friends you haven't met, coming home late: how much freedom is right at 15? A simple rule: freedom grows with responsibility shown, under your eye, directly and indirectly.

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