Articles About Parenting Teenagers by Ann Douglas

A growing collection of articles about the joys and challenges of parenting a teenager.

• Teen Brain Benefits from Mindfulness Training: Teenagers who practice mindfulness — a technique that involves focusing on what is happening in the moment and being aware of and accepting of emotions — benefit from increased self-control, healthier relationships, and improved overall well-being.  
• Teen's Ability to Argue With Parents Makes Them Less Likely to Give In To Peer Pressure: Researchers discovered that teenagers whose parents encourage them to express their own opinions and who make a point of discussing tough issues as a family are less likely to succumb to peer pressure than other teenagers. 
• What Parents Need to Know About Teens and Dating Violence: "The emotional abuse came first and started early on," says a young woman who was in an abusive relationship during her teen years.
• Parents Have A Key Role to Play in Teaching Healthy Relationship Skills: Parents can make a difference when it comes to encouraging children to make healthy relationship choices.
• Should Sex Educators Teach Good Sex?: To be relevant today, sex ed should address ‘enthusiastic consent,’ porn, a balance of male and female pleasure, and what it means to be emotionally ready for sex, says a Toronto sex educator.
• Worried About Your Teen's Internet Use?: There could soon be an app for that. Researchers in the Information Technology Department at the Missouri University of Science and Technology are hoping to develop a software application that is capable of screening Internet users — youth in particular — for symptoms of depression.

Ann Douglas is the author of numerous books about pregnancy and parenting including, most recently, Parenting Through the Storm: How to Handle the Highs, the Lows, and Everything in Between.