Secondary school & young adult

Skip parent section

Parenting teenagers: what to expect.

You’re not alone! Parenting teenagers has never been easy and each generation of parents faces new challenges. It’s natural to experience mood swings as an adolescent right into your 20s, but many young people are experiencing higher levels of mental health problems than ever before. We know that as a parent or caregiver, it can be difficult to know what’s normal and when you should worry. The websites and books in the section below have been chosen to help you discover what’s going on in your teenager’s brain, how to communicate effectively and where to look for help and reliable information. See the internet and gaming section for up-to-date advice on social media and keeping safe online.

Parenting young adults: help and advice

Just because your child is now a young adult, doesn’t mean you will stop worrying about them and many of the links in the sections below are useful for parents of young adults too. Find more resources on the self-help for young people page, including a section for students. Most colleges, universities and large employers will have counselling support available. If you are worried about your child, you can contact their GP and let them know your concerns, although the GP will not be able to share any information with you without your child’s consent, which needs to be noted on their records.

 

Websites and videos for parents

Books for parents

 

Hormone hijack 14-19 yrs. 

 

A video about changes in the developing brains of teenagers, including mood swings and why they need so much sleep!

 

Click on each topic below to find advice for parents and for young people

 

Anxiety

 

Low mood
and
depression

 

Autism

 

 

ADHD

 

 

Borderline Personality
Disorder

 

Sleep

 

 

Self-harm

 

 

Suicidal
thoughts

 

   
Drugs and
alcohol

 

Coping with
divorce or separation

 

Anger

 

 

 

Eating
disorders

 

 

OCD

 

 

 

 

Coping with
loss, death
or illness

 

Longterm
illness
and mood

 

School anxiety 

 

Gender and
sexuality

 


Tics and Tourettes

 

 

 

Bullying

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Self-esteem

 

Body image

 

 


Bedwetting,
 bladder problems and constipation

 

Psychosis
and Bipolar disorder 

 

Internet safety,
social media
and gaming