Raising tweens and teenagers
Tips for communicating effectively with teens, help them build confidence and self-esteem, how to deal with cyber bullying and practical ways to stay safe online
Raising happy and confident teens
Life with pre teens and teenagers can have its ups and downs as they navigate their growing years. Caring for a "tween" or teen can be tough at times and there’s always room for new ideas.
The guides below were developed for carers including foster carers and guardians but parents with tweens and teens could also find the tips and toolkit catering to each age range useful. You may read terms that do not apply to you such as "carer" and "caseworker". However, mostly you'll find lots of helpful information on tricky topics such as drugs and alcohol as well as how to help a tween or teen build self-esteem, deal with bullying and build healthy intimate relationships.
Pre teens 8 to 11
Areas covered include building self esteem, managing anger, starting high school, developing positive body image, understanding bullying, forming friendships and online safety.
Early teens 12 to 15
Progressing at school, nurturing identity, emotional well being, safety around drugs and alcohol, managing money, sexuality, gender identity and managing serious behaviours.
Late teens 16 to 18
Developing independence, healthy intimate relationships, driving skills, risky behaviours, finishing school, finding career pathways and lifelong belonging.
Carer toolkit
Teenage privacy, negotiating with teens, solving problems and dealing with teen anger.
Download the full Raising tweens and teens - a guide for carers and caseworkers booklet.