Growth and Development:

• Puberty is a transition period between childhood and adulthood.
• The first physical sign in girls is usually breast budding between 8 and 13 years.  Menstruation usually starts 2 years after the onset of breast changes.
• Boys start puberty on average one year after girls.  Their first physical change is enlarged testicles between 9 and 14 years.
• Growth in height and weight is very rapid just before and during puberty.
• Regular exercise at least 3 times a week becomes important to set lifelong healthy habits.
• Body image can be a big concern for many adolescents.  Watch for signs of any problems.
• Good healthy eating and regular exercise are all that is usually needed to maintain an appropriate body weight.  Dieting by binging or denial of food is dangerous at this age because the body needs nutrition for normal growth.
• Our Nutrition Pages offer information on proper food volumes, weight loss tips, vegetarian diet help, and nutrition for athletes.
• If you notice a problem with body size or image, please talk to your doctor.
• Encourage proper sleep.  Many teens have poor sleep habits, which contribute to problems with school and peer interaction. 
• For more information on sleep problems, acne, or other issues see our symptoms page.

Safety and Behavior: 

• Adolescents must shift from being dependent on parents to independent behavior and decision making.
• Peer approval becomes important in decision making.
• Talk with your child about decisions and consequences.
• Interest in trying new things, challenging authority and desire for peer approval contribute to many things.  These may include:  Adolescent injuries, early sexual exploration and use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
• Adolescent sexuality is an important developmental process and should not be thought of simply as sexual activity.  They become involved in sexual activity through friends, peer pressure, to experience affection, to feel grown up, for experimentation, and to experience closeness.  Discuss your views on sex. 
• Teach your teen respect for himself and others.
• Accidental injury is the leading cause of death among 12 - 24 year olds.
• Death in motor vehicles is most common.  Encourage your child to wear a seat belt at all times.
• Talk about how alcohol and other drugs impair decision-making capabilities.  Brains develop through young adult years, and are more at risk of developing substance abuse. See this link for details.
  
• Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for teens in the US.  Prevent suicide by limiting access to lethal methods and by recognizing risks in the teens in your life (depression, alcohol and drug abuse, loss of loved one, trouble with peers, and hopelessness).  Click here for more information. 
• Keep all guns locked and away from teens.
• Participation in sports and other activities can encourage healthy habits and prevent dangerous behaviors, but do not allow your child to over-schedule.  Avoid sports burnout.
• For information on internet safety, click here.
• Teens have died from an activity known as many things, such as the "choking game", "spacemonkey", "blackout", and more.  Click here for details on what this game is, how to recognize symptoms that your child might be involved, and more.
• Teens can learn CPR and refresh skills every 2 years.  For a list of CPR classes for both non-medical and medical professionals, click here.
• Click here for more safety information.
• The US surveys teens across the country every 2 years on risk behaviors.  Click here to see the 2009 results.  The survey includes smoking, drinking, sexual activity, and more.  You can categorize by age, location, and more to get an idea of your teen's risk.

Parenting:

• How teens value education, marriage, family life, and religion reflect those views of their parents.  Talk with your teen.
• Discuss what you see in the news together.
• Discuss what they and their friends are doing.  Let your child know you are available.
• Listen more than you talk.  Treat a teenager’s comments seriously.
• Be flexible.
• Show interest in your child’s activities.  Spend time together and time alone.
• Show trust in your teen when deserved.
• Make resources available to your adolescent.
• Keep well defined “house rules”.  Adolescents need firm, fair and clear limits.
• Have fun together to help establish a good parent-teen relationship.
• Screen time:  Too much television, internet use, video games, and other screen time is related to obesity, violence, aggressive behavior, decreased learning ability, extremes of sexual behavior, and the use of drugs and alcohol.  Limit screen time to 2 hours per day.  Find alternatives.  Keep the television and computer out of your child’s room.  Turn the television off during meal times.
• Computers:  Remember that the Internet has many of the same negative aspects as television and it can lure children into the hands of perpetrators.  Keep the computer in a well-used family area.  Monitor the web sites your child uses.  Discuss the dangers of the internet with your child.
• Click here for Common Sense Media, a website that reviews movies, tv shows, and video games for age appropriateness.
• Recommended Reading:  The Talk:  What Your Kids Need to Hear from You About Sex by Sharon Maxwell

Nutrition:

• Teens need a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, lean meats or other form of protein, and limited fats and simple sugars.
• Vitamin supplementation may help round out the nutrients your child misses through the diet, but still encourage healthy eating.
• It is recommended that all people take a vitamin D and iron supplement daily.
• Limit "pop", juice, pre-packaged snack foods with high fat and calories.
• Eating as a family at home has been shown to improve not only nutrition, but also family bonds.
• See our Nutrition page for more topics, such as fish oil, vitamin D, sports nutrition, weight loss and gaining tips, and more!

Immunizations:

• Check our vaccine page to see if any vaccines are needed for your teen.  Please have us update your adolescent’s shot record.
• Flu vaccine is recommended each Fall.

Teen specific information was recently added to our Website page.  Check there for sites on Drugs and Alcohol, Nutrition, College Planning, and more!