Does it feel like you’re walking on eggshells when you interact with your child? If so, you’re not alone. That said, open communication is vital for building trust, safety, and connection between parents and children. Consider these useful tips for talking to your teenager. 

One of the hardest things about parenting is knowing that you can’t protect your children from everything the world will throw at them. It is very easy to hope that if you don’t talk about the difficult things, they won’t happen.

Have you ever opened your mouth and heard your parents come out? Being intentional about what you say to and around your children can help mold who they become and how they deal with the world as they grow up.

One of the most basic needs of every child is the need for their parents’ approval. This is so important that it is at the basis of self-esteem, self-worth, and even their identity as they grow.

The COVID-19 pandemic is giving parents more time than ever to spend with their kids. Many parents are taking advantage of the time to enjoy some much-needed quality time and using this situation as a time to create stronger bonds and improve communication with their kids.

It’s easy for adults to believe that because children are small, their emotions are also small or somehow less real. This could not be further from the truth.

Over the past few months, we’ve faced drastic changes and heartache as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic. On a grand scale, both the residents of Idaho and our global society have have struggled to adjust to a new norm—a "stay-at-home era" as schools and businesses close, and those not considered "essential workers" face layoffs and work-from-home orders while we wait for COVID-19 to pass.

It’s not just the game that makes family game night a success that everyone looks forward to, it’s the environment that you create. To make your game nights fun and full of laughs, start with the following tips:

It can be hard for a kid to admit when things aren’t okay. If your teen is displaying negative patterns of behavior, they may be trying to communicate through their actions, instead. Research shows that upsetting experiences and stress are often the culprits behind behavioral issues in teens, and just because you can’t always see an underlying cause, doesn’t mean there’s nothing wrong.

This guide offers some helpful ways to identify problematic behaviors, understand the effects of highly stressful situations, and help your child cope and move past their experiences in a healthy and proactive way. This assessment is intended for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

“I didn’t want to do it, but living in that environment, I just didn’t think I had any other option.”

Jake was a smart, vibrant teenage boy who had the world going for him. He had friends and good grades and got along well with others. No one on the outside looking in would have guessed that he was at risk for suicide.