Teen Issues
From anxiety to alcohol and self-esteem to lack of sleep, the teenage years can be challenging. Navigate the changes with Motherly’s expert-backed resources.
9 ways to help your tween navigate friend groups
Tweens care deeply about where they fit. These simple, research-informed strategies help your child read friend dynamics, choose healthy connections, and feel confident in their own skin.
When your tween’s world suddenly gets bigger: a mom-to-mom field guide
Your tween is stretching for more freedom, more friends, and more say. Here is a warm, practical guide to help you set loving limits while growing their independence.
What teenagers really need from moms (but won’t say)
Teenagers still want you close, just differently. Here is how to stay connected, set limits with love, and read what they are telling you between the lines.
The beauty of raising tweens in the in-between years
They are not little kids, not quite teens, and entirely themselves. Here is how to notice the magic, ride the waves, and stay close without crowding.
12 parenting habits that ease tween screen battles
Tweens + tech do not have to be a daily fight. These simple, steady habits lower the volume on screen time stand-offs while protecting your relationship.
The grief and grace of raising teens
Parenting teens can feel like saying goodbye and hello at the same time. Here is a tender look at the losses we do not name and the love that carries us through.
Why moms can have open, even awkward, conversations with their teens
The talk is not a one-time lecture. It is a series of honest, age-appropriate conversations that help teens understand sex, consent, safety, and their own values. Here is a practical guide to start and keep it going.
Skin-to-skin isn’t just day one—why connection rituals still matter at 6, 16, and 26
Small, steady connection rituals help kids and grown children feel safe, seen, and close at every age.
Raising kids who are kind online and IRL–a mom’s guide
Your child’s tech life is real life. Here is how to teach empathy, boundaries, and repair so they can be safe and kind on screens and off.
Teen screen sanity: 9 family agreements that stick (because you co-wrote them)
Teens take rules seriously when they helped write them. These nine co-created agreements turn screen time from a tug-of-war into a shared plan you can actually live with.
When your teen begins to pull away: what it feels like and how to stay close
That closed bedroom door can sting. Here is why distance is part of healthy adolescence and how to keep connection steady while you give them room.
How to raise resilient kids in an anxious world
You cannot bubble-wrap childhood, but you can give kids the habits, relationships and room they need to bounce back. Here is a practical, research-backed playbook for today’s families.
7 surprising things teens wish their moms would ask
Sometimes the best way to connect with a teenager is to ask a better question. Use thoughtful prompts and open real conversation without putting your teen on the defensive.
7 signs your tween is asking for independence and how to honor it
Tweens crave room to try, stumble and grow. Here are clear signs your tween is asking for some independence, they are ready for more say in their life.
Why sixth grade is the year your tween’s confidence needs the most protection
The “sixth grade social shake-up” is real—here’s how parents can help their kids navigate it.
New CDC data shows nearly 1 in 3 U.S. teens have prediabetes—what parents need to know
This finding doesn’t mean these kids are sick, and it doesn’t mean their future is already decided.
Teenage angst: From ancient Mesopotamia to my living room
Recently, historian Dr. Esmé James shared what's essentially a 4,000-year-old text message from a teenager to his mother.
Helping my young teen cope with middle school
The world is not a safe place for an adolescent girl, and she needs me to be her soft landing and her lifeline.
How to create a safe space with your teen
Think of suicide prevention as not just talking about the subject of suicide but creating an ongoing environment of open and honest communication at home.
Neurodiverse teens face challenges in romantic relationships: Here’s how to support them
Learning to navigate romantic relationships is difficult for everyone, but being neurodiverse can add an extra layer of challenge.