A Path for Growing Up
Children
Understanding the Power of Play
Children do not always have the words to explain what they are feeling, experiencing, or carrying with them. Play offers another language—one that allows children to express themselves, work through difficult experiences, and communicate in a way that feels natural to them.
Nemours KidsHealth – Feelings & Emotions
KidsHealth offers child-friendly information about emotions, stress, friendships, bullying, family changes, self-esteem, and other parts of growing up. Many of the articles are written directly for children and teens, which makes this a great resource for families who want to start conversations at home.
Helping Little Ones Navigate Big Feelings
The Child Mind Institute provides practical, expert-reviewed information for parents and caregivers navigating emotional, behavioral, developmental, learning, and relationship concerns. Their resource center includes guides, videos, articles, and tools covering everything from anxiety and behavior to screen time, grief, school challenges, and adolescence.
Support After Something Hard Happens
When a child or family has experienced a frightening, painful, or overwhelming event, knowing how to support them can be difficult. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides resources for children, teens, caregivers, and professionals covering trauma, grief, stressful events, and recovery, with materials available for different ages and circumstances.
When You’re Not Sure Where to Start
The Child Mind Institute provides practical, expert-reviewed information for parents and caregivers navigating emotional, behavioral, developmental, learning, and relationship concerns. Their resource center includes guides, videos, articles, and tools covering everything from anxiety and behavior to screen time, grief, school challenges, and adolescence.
Finding the Words for What You Feel
Learning to name an emotion can be an important first step toward knowing what to do with it. This child-friendly resource helps kids understand that all kinds of feelings are normal and encourages them to put those feelings into words and share them with trusted people.
Understanding Your Emotions as You Grow
Growing up comes with increasingly complicated emotions, relationships, pressures, and decisions. KidsHealth provides teens with straightforward information about understanding emotions, coping with stress, communicating with others, and developing greater emotional awareness without talking down to them.
Teens
What to Expect From Teen Therapy
Starting therapy can feel awkward or uncertain when you don’t know what to expect. This video walks teens through what therapy can look like, how the first session works, and why having a space to talk openly can be an important part of figuring out what comes next.
When Parenting a Teen Feels Like New Territory
The teen years bring new emotions, independence, boundaries, and communication challenges for the whole family. This free resource offers research-based articles, videos, and activities to help parents better understand adolescents while strengthening connection and encouraging healthy independence.
Understanding the Teen Behind the Behavior
Sometimes understanding why teens respond the way they do can change how parents respond too. This resource provides science-backed guides, scripts, and tip sheets about the developing teen brain, emotions, identity, communication, stress, rules, and growing independence.
When Something Difficult Has Happened
Difficult experiences can affect teenagers in ways that are not always obvious. The NCTSN provides resources for parents and caregivers who are helping young people navigate trauma, grief, family changes, disasters, violence, and other overwhelming experiences, with guidance for supporting recovery and connection.
Keeping the Conversation Open
Talking with a teenager can sometimes feel like navigating a completely different language. HealthyChildren offers practical guidance from pediatric experts on listening without judgment, avoiding lectures, discussing difficult topics, setting boundaries, and maintaining a relationship where teens still feel comfortable coming to you.
Helping Your Teen Through the Harder Seasons
When your teen is struggling emotionally or behaviorally, it can be difficult to know what is normal adolescence and when they may need additional support. The Child Mind Institute offers parent-friendly information about emotions, behavior, relationships, school challenges, stress, and mental health, along with practical tools for supporting teens at home.
When You’re Worried About Substance Use
Questions about vaping, alcohol, marijuana, medications, or other substances can leave parents unsure how to respond without pushing their teen away. Partnership to End Addiction provides practical education, conversation guidance, support services, and science-based resources for families concerned about adolescent substance use.
ADHD & Dyslexia
Supporting Different Ways of Learning
Deciding whether medication is right for a child or teen can bring a lot of questions. In this video, Dr. Daniel Amen walks through both the possible benefits and the potential drawbacks of stimulant medication for ADHD, offering families a balanced place to begin the conversation. It can be a helpful starting point for parents who want to feel more informed before talking through options with their child’s healthcare provider.
When Focus, Organization, and Follow-Through Feel Hard
The teen years often bring greater demands for independence, organization, time management, schoolwork, and decision-making—areas that can be especially challenging for teens with ADHD. CHADD offers parents practical, research-based information for understanding how ADHD may look during adolescence and how to provide support while still encouraging growing independence.
Supporting the Way Your Teen Learns
Dyslexia does not define a teen’s intelligence or potential, but it can make reading, writing, schoolwork, and self-confidence more complicated. The International Dyslexia Association’s family handbook helps parents understand dyslexia, evaluations, effective instruction, accommodations, and ways young people can develop stronger self-advocacy as they grow.