Healthy Relationships Initiative
Teens are heavily connected to many different types of media, including music, television and movies, and social media. It’s important to talk with your teen about how they see sex and relationships portrayed in the different sources of media they encounter throughout their days. Help them develop media literacy so they understand how what they’re seeing in the media compares to reality.
Adapted from HRI Article, Don’t Have “The Talk.”
Instead, have a series of ongoing conversations that evolve in a way that corresponds with your teenager’s changing needs, questions, and developmental stages.
When parents take the pressure out of having “the talk” with their teen, it allows for more natural conversations that end up being more meaningful than just one talk.
By keeping an open door to conversations about sex and sexuality with your teen, you are offering a foundation for them to navigate this often complicated and perplexing part of their growth into adulthood.
Learn more about how to engage in ongoing discussions with your teen about dating and sexuality by clicking here.
Good communication is an essential part of any relationship. All relationships have ups and downs, but a healthy communication style can make it easier to deal with conflict and build a stronger and healthier relationship. You can help your teen learn this by mirroring these skills in your own relationship.
By being open to disagreements and being willing to compromise in your point of views, you can engage in meaningful conversations about dating with your teen.
Adapted from HRI article, Guiding Teens Towards Healthy Relationships.
Since parents play an important role in teaching teens about healthy relationships, being well-versed in what makes relationships unhealthy is crucial to having open conversations about dating relationships.
Download the free HRI toolkit on Talking With Teens About Dating to learn more about the warning signs of dating abuse and how to talk with teens about them.
If you’re feeling intimidated when thinking about talking with your teen about dating, you’re not alone. A good place to start when talking to your teen about dating is to hear them out on what they currently know and think about relationships.
By letting them lead with what they already know, your teen is more likely to feel like this is a conversation instead of a one-sided lecture, increasing the likelihood that they will be engaged and buy into what is being discussed.
Asking your teen for their opinions, experiences, and input will also help them feel heard and respected throughout the conversation.
When teens feel heard by their parents, it offers an opportunity to not only connect meaningfully, but also to have meaningful teaching moments together.
Read more about how to talk with teens about healthy relationships here.
HRI is glad to partner again with the Guilford County Partnership for Children and UNC Greensboro’s Drs. Stephanie Coard and Laura Gonzalez to provide parents with a resource to assist them in having courageous conversations with their children about race and racism.
The free webinar will feature an overview of the One Talk at a Time program for families and will feature strategies for Latinx American, Asian American, African American, and Black youth and their families to have conversations about race and ethnicity. We will also address strategies for White families to talk together about racism and ways to notice and push back on white skin privilege.
We live in a diverse and racially conscious world. All parents play a crucial role in helping their children navigate such a world, including Black, Asian, Latinx, and White parents. Parent-child conversations about race related issues are needed to help children construct a strong foundation and to thrive. The way in which parents of color teach their children what it means to be a person of color and how to navigate racially salient interactions (e.g., racism, discrimination) is referred to as racial-ethnic socialization (RES). The way in which white parents teach their children about unearned racial privilege and how to push back on it is called anti-racism. Parents need resources and tools to help improve their self-efficacy to have conversations about race/racism/RES, and promote the social, emotional, and cultural development of their children. An overview of the conception of One Talk at a Time program followed by description of the Ready Set Talk approach will be presented. Demonstration of video excerpts will be used for illustration purposes.
Burnout often is a sign that you’re feeling unfulfilled by your current life circumstances. It also can indicate that you previously held expectations that haven’t been met, so it may be time to readjust your expectations so that they are more achievable.
Do what you can to create time in your life for quiet reflection, such as through meditation, prayer, or journaling. This time can help you evaluate what you may want to add (e.g., a new work opportunity or more time for friendships) to your life that is missing currently, or perhaps other things you want to cut out from your life (e.g., expectations about keeping a super-clean house) to help you make the most of your current life circumstances and find as much fulfillment in them as you can.
From previous HRI blog post, When Moms Feel Burnout.
Many moms sacrifice their own healthy habits to care for their children. Especially when children are very young, good sleep can be hard to come by, and kids at all ages keep their parents so busy that it can be hard to find time to prepare nutritious meals and get exercise.
However, over time, neglecting your health can wear you down even further. Therefore, if you’re feeling burned out, consider ways to increase your physical health, such as by getting more rest, making time for exercise, and learning how to prepare nutritious, quick meals and snacks.
From previous HRI blog post, When Moms Feel Burnout.
Burnout is more than just stress. If you’re feeling burned out, most likely you feel exhausted most of the time, a lack of motivation, disconnected from others and a sense of purpose, and possibly a lower sense of self-worth.
As a mom, burnout can make you feel like you’re just going through the motions, and it may even become more difficult to feel emotionally connected to your child, even if you’re able to fully care for all of their needs.
When life becomes overwhelming, a professional counselor or therapist can help you identify new solutions and learn new ways of understanding and responding to your emotions. Look for a counselor who is experienced in working with parenting and family issues.
From previous HRI blog post, When Moms Feel Burnout.
Often, burnout is the result of people carrying more responsibilities than they can manage on their own. So, if you’re experiencing burnout, reach out to friends, family members, and your spiritual community for support.
If you have a supportive spouse or partner, ask them to help carry more of the parenting and household responsibilities, even if for just a short period of time while you can rest and recover.
Don’t be afraid to let others know you are overwhelmed–most likely, others will relate to your experiences and be happy to help.From previous HRI blog post, When Moms Feel Burnout.