Parents often say that they feel overwhelmed, not only by the work of parenting but also by the (often contradictory) information available on adolescents and adolescent development. You want information quickly and need it to be trustworthy. Our philosophy is that if you’re told there is one and only one way to approach teenagers—whether it be about drug and alcohol use, parties, dealing with homework wars or sexual relationships—the person behind that approach is probably selling something they need you to buy.

The structure of our Resources section parallels how you might work with your own pre-teen or teen: we provide thoughtful, up-to-date, information designed to get you thinking and you use that to help you implement your own values. Since there is no perfect way to parent teens that works in every single family, we’ve provided a practical way to narrow down the voluminous amount of information.

The Practical Help “Tip Sheets” have been developed over the years by Michael Simon and can be downloaded and printed for your own use or for distribution to friends or the parent body at your school. They are simple and direct, but not simplistic.

The Model Web Resources page provides you with easy-to-access model websites, pre-screened for usefulness and useability. Each website link is accompanied by a short description of what you’ll find when you visit the site—so you don’t waste your time clicking through websites. Our websites are indexed, and organized according to the 10 Key Parenting Issues:

General: Parenting Teens & Pre-teens (everything from
“How do I help my teen find a job? to “What are the latest
driving restrictions in California?”)
Education/School
Teens, Pre-teens & the Family
Privacy
Responsibility, Building Character & Being in Community
Physical, Emotional & Social Development
Teens, Drugs & Alcohol
Sexuality & Teens
Dating & Relationships
Internet & Media

The Bibliography is organized by the same method—with reference to our 10 Key Parenting Issues. We’ll work on continually updating this bibliography.

© 2005 Michael Y. Simon, MFT