Parent Tips

• Healthier Generation works with schools, youth-serving organizations, businesses, and communities across the nation to transform the places where kids spend their time into healthier environments. Through their evidence-based programming and innovative resources, they empower those who work closely with children to help them develop lifelong healthy habits. Healthier Generation supports a holistic approach to health promotion. In addition to physical activity and healthy eating, they address multiple, critical child and adolescent health issues, including social and emotional health, sleep, and asthma resources. The site has a free action account and offers resources for educators.
• Sex & U is an initiative of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, one of Canada’s leading authorities on sexual and reproductive health. Visit their website for accurate, credible, and up-to-date information that can be used as a reference for lesson planning, and as a reliable resource for students. Topics covered include sexual activity, consent, contraception and pregnancy, to self-image, and LGBTTQ+.
• Anxiety Canada is a leader in developing free, online, self-help and evidence-based resources on anxiety. Visit their website to gain access to a host of ready-to-use articles and videos that answer questions about anxiety in children, youth, and adults such as “Where does anxiety come from?” and “How do you recognize when you’re anxious?”
• Talk to your sons about sex the way you would about table manners: often, says author Peggy Orenstein – Author Peggy Orenstein has spent decades researching and writing about girls and sex. In her latest book (Boys & Sex: Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent & Navigating the New Masculinity), she turns her attention to boys. If you are not talking to your boys about sex, pornography will instead, says Orenstein. And, she warned, if adults don’t talk to their sons about sex, free pornography on sites like PornHub is likely to fill the void. “It has become, in absence of parental conversation and conversation in school, one of the main sex educators,” she said. Go to article
• The Ultimate Parent Guide for Protecting Your Child on the Internet – for parents and teachers with valuable information with summary sheets on how to protect a child on the Internet.
• Booster Buddy – This free updated app helps teens and young adults improve their mental health as they work to manage their personal wellness journey. A youth design team played a part in bringing the app to life.
• www.ChildHealthIndicatorsBC.ca – Is “Good” Good Enough? The Provincial Health Officer’s annual report is meant to act as a check-up on the health of B.C.’s children and youth. The goal of the report is to improve child health over the long term. The conclusion states that “Good” is not good enough. Data is brought together from a broad range of contributing factors to child and youth health and well-being and establishes a comprehensive and holistic baseline to support consistent and ongoing monitoring and reporting. Essential information is provided for decision-makers, educators, planners, community members and youth. All of the determinants of health are addressed.
• Why Smart Teens are Sexual Idiots – September 13, 2013 article by Clay Nikiforuk, a Montreal-based writer and researcher. The article was written following the frosh week chant situations. There are valuable insights about being embarrassingly undereducated on leaving high school, about teaching pleasant, healthy, mutual sex in the classroom environment and about changing the language to describe sex.
• Robinson, Ken “Finding Your Element” (Penguin Books, 2013) – In the book he answers the question: How do you find your element? There are practical exercises to help an individual discover strengths and gifts. This is a guide for discovering what matters most. P.S. Robinson’s famous 2006 TED talk is the most watched in TED history.
• Transitions: A resource for students transitioning from schools to universities by Dr. Stanley Kutcher. Transitions, the first publication of its kind, provides first-year students with information on topics including time management, relationships, sexual activity, mental illness, suicide and addictions. The guide also includes mental health self-help information and contains recommendations where students can go to get help on their campus.
• Healthyschools.sd61.bc.ca has an excellent Resource Menu for educators and parents. Examples included in this area: Mental Health with a Mental Health High School Curriculum Guide (PDF), Sexual Health including a sexual health education in the schools question and answer document, Social/Emotional Health, Nutrition and so on.
• Sexting and teens: Access the world of teens at https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/teens-sexting-education-1.3789913. The full documentary on the website (15 minutes) is the work of Ioanna Roumeliotis, an award winning reporter with the CBC, Oct 5, 2016. Kids face up to the dangers of sexting. Teens have access to a very powerful device but that doesn’t mean they know how to protect themselves (CBC).
• “This Is High School” is a six-part TV series that provides a revealing look at what school’s really like. The series, outlined on cbc.ca, was created from the combined footage of 50 remote controlled cameras placed in a typical secondary school in Kamloops, BC, for several weeks. There are stories about internet bullying, self-image, fitting in, identity, anxiety attacks, anger management, the pressure to excel, the desire to drop out, autism, nerds, popular girls, 8th grade boys who can’t resist testing their boundaries. PHEW.
• Education is critical but daunting. Cybertip.ca was flooded with calls about the sexting issue so NeedHelpNow.ca was created to deal with the overload. Its purpose is to help teens stop the spread of sexual images or videos. Guidance is offered on the steps that can be taken to get through the problem.
• Alcoholtreatment.net has information about understanding alcoholism, the signs and symptoms of alcohol addiction, treatment options for alcohol abuse, “Talking To An Alcoholic “ (guide download), “What is An Alcohol Screening Test (blog article). Treatment centres in the U. S. are listed. 24/7 treatment assistance is offered. Popular, social and legal, alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States. 17.6 million people (one in every 12 adults) suffers from alcohol abuse or dependence according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Reachout.com – Australia’s leading online mental health site for young people and their parents includes practical support, tools and tips. The site is based on the latest evidence and is designed by experts, youth and parents.  Digital self-help tools are trusted, relevant and easy-to-use.
• Heretohelp –  Self-help resources for mental health and addiction issues are significant e.g. screening tests, where-to-find help. Seven leading mental health and addiction non–profit agencies work together to help people live well and better prevent and manage health and substance abuse problems.
• Stress and social media fuel mental health crisis among girls (The Guardian) –  NHS data shows 68% rise in hospital admissions because of self-harm among girls under 17 in past decade. The article outlines experts warning that the “gathering crisis” in girls’ mental health is linked to conflict with friends, fears about their body image and pressures created by social media.
• Diagnosing Depression – Your Guide to Depression & Mental Health in the UK – The guide offers plenty of valuable information such as: Questions to ask yourself if you think you might have depression (including an online questionnaire)
• Safer Schools Together helps schools throughout North America in Violence & Bullying Behavior as well as prevention and intervention strategies. Free parent resources are offered for download.There is money involved in doing the workshops but the downloads are free. Examples:
  • Protect Your Privacy on Facebook
  • Internet Texting and Social Media Lingo and Slang
  • Social Media Parent Checklist
• A Guide to Keeping Children Safe Online (A Good Read for Non-Techy Parents) – The Guide is created for parents that are somewhat daunted by tech and the ever-changing complexities of the internet.  The easy-to-read Guide will bring you up-to-date with the latest fads and services online with an emphasis on helpful child safety tips.
• How to Keep your Children Safe Online