Mental health is a crucial part of well-being, especially during the middle school years when teens are developing emotionally and facing new social and academic challenges. Just like physical health, mental health needs attention and support. At this age, thirteen-year-olds benefit from learning skills to help them manage emotions and develop resilience.

Children/teens aged 11-14 are going through many transitions: new friendships, more responsibilities at school, and figuring out who they are. These experiences can sometimes feel overwhelming. With your guidance, they can learn to understand and care for their mental health.

Some may face added difficulties, like family changes, social pressures, or personal struggles. In these cases, consider seeking additional support. But the steps here will help build everyday skills for mental well-being and resilience.

Whether it’s feeling nervous about a group project, worried about fitting in, or struggling with self-esteem, mental health matters. In the short term, focusing on mental health can help your child/teen:

● feel more capable of managing their emotions and reactions

● strengthen relationships by learning empathy and good communication

● develop greater self-awareness and control over their reactions

In the long term, they can develop:

● emotional awareness and ways to express their feelings healthily

● resilience in handling challenges

● effective coping strategies for stress, worry, and other emotions

Here’s a five-step process to support mental health, build resilience, and nurture lifelong skills.

Tip: Healthy communication[1] and a positive parent-child relationship[2] make these steps more effective.

Encourage your child/teen to talk about their mental health. Asking open-ended questions lets them reflect on their feelings and understand themselves better.

Questions to Ask:

● “What’s been on your mind lately?”

● “What’s something that happened today that made you feel proud, nervous, or frustrated?”

● “If you could describe a time when you felt worried or upset this week, what would it be?”

Active Listening: Show understanding by restating what they say, e.g., “So, it sounds like group projects make you nervous because everyone’s counting on each other. Is that how you feel?”

Trap: Avoid quick solutions like “Oh, don’t worry about it.” Instead, let them know it’s okay to feel what they’re feeling and that you’re there to support them.

Help your child/teen learn to recognize and manage emotions by modeling different techniques. Introduce these skills in a way they can relate to:

● Naming the Emotion: Teach them to label feelings[3] , like “I’m feeling disappointed” or “I’m feeling left out.”

● Sitting with the Feeling: Explain that sometimes, feelings just need to be felt, like when they’re sad about

Thirteen-year-olds require the ability to follow directions to get along at home and to succeed at school. Whether they are doing chores, following safety instructions, completing assignments, or showing their knowledge on tests, they will need to be able to follow directions. Though telling your teen to do something may seem simple enough, listening and engaging in several steps in instruction necessitates many brain functions in addition to motivational factors.

Children/teens ages eleven to fourteen are working on understanding what it means to act responsibly. They are working to understand the rules and apply them in various settings. They are working on their independence. They are increasingly caring for their bodies (eating right, getting exercise). They are learning about relationships (managing their feelings and impulses, empathizing and working through conflict, being dependable, and keeping promises). They meet school requirements (manage homework and extracurriculars) and contribute to the household in which they live (do chores and cooperate with rules and expectations).

They are also working to define their identity. As they develop, as part of their growing self-awareness and self-management, they will test boundaries, forget things, and break rules. When they do, they require guidance on approaching a hurt relationship, revisiting missed obligations, and repairing harm. This is a normal part of their development and necessary for learning how to take responsibility.

As a parent or someone in a parenting role, you can be deliberate in offering instructions to help your child/teen follow directions. Understanding multiple-step directions engages their short-term and complex working memory, an executive function that requires practice and development over time. In the case of short-term memory, you might ask your child/teen, “Would you complete your homework before dinner, get your shower done after dinner, and be in bed by nine, please?” They need to remember those three items as they move on to their homework. In an academic setting, as another example, a teacher may say, “At the end of our class, I’ll give you time to take out your pencils, read the directions at the top of the page, and fill in only questions 3. and 5.” Students have to retain that information as the teacher moves on to other topics and also plan for what they will need to do when they come to the time when they have to implement the teacher’s instructions. This expectation utilizes complex working memory and can be challenging for students.^1^

Following directions can involve all five core social and emotional competencies[1] . Children/teens may need to know their strengths and limitations (self-awareness) to complete the tasks given. They must use their self-management skills to wait and focus on what’s been instructed when necessary. They may require social awareness or empathy as they work to understand the needs, feelings, and thoughts of the one giving them directions. They will use their relationship skills by listening actively to what’s required. They will also use their responsible decision-making skills to decide whether and how to follow through with a request or instruction.

Some parents and those in a parenting role may feel frustrated and even angry when their children/teens do not follow their directions as they requested. A parent may perceive that a child/teen who is not following their directions is being defiant or disrespectful, when in reality, there may be another reason for the behavior. There are several factors to consider when a child/teen does not follow a direction. When faced with this situation, a parent may ask themselves:

- Does the child/teen have the capacity and skills to follow the...

Age 13 First Paragraph: As a parent or someone in a parenting role, you play an essential role in your teen’s success. There are intentional ways to grow a healthy parent-child/teen relationship, and developing skills in reading is a great way to do it.

Reading is essential for your child’s/teen’s success in school. Reading also plays a critical role in your child’s/teen’s

● social and emotional development[1]

● language development

● executive functions like working memory and self-control ^1

● connection to you

● empathy and understanding of others

● imagination (ability to “see” the story) ^2

● ability to choose healthy behaviors (preventing high-risk behaviors and unhealthy choices)

Researchers have found that social, emotional, and cognitive development cannot be separated. They directly and indirectly impact one another.^3^ Children/Teens exercise their responsible decision-making skills and moral development as they reflect on their favorite character’s choices and the outcomes.

Children/teens ages eleven to fourteen are in the process of learning how to read larger, more complicated texts and extracting meaning from them. Children/teens ages thirteen to fourteen are required in school to begin thinking abstractly about their reading and deciphering metaphors, symbols, and cultural themes. All children/teens can establish critical learning habits through reading that will extend throughout their school years. Reading is learned best snuggled up next to parents, grandparents, and other loved ones. The single most important activity for building skills essential for reading success is reading aloud to children. ^4

Parents tend to stop reading aloud as children/teens get older and become more competent readers. However, even high school students (and adults) benefit from collaborative reading or reading aloud. In reading together, you deepen your caring connection (relationship skills). You and your child/teen gain insight into the characters’ inner lives - thoughts and feelings - in a way that no other source can allow you access (social awareness). And, with that exploration of others’ experiences, you learn more about who you are (self-awareness) and what you value (responsible decision-making).

Yet, anyone can face challenges when it comes to establishing a daily reading routine. Families today are busier than ever, with more demands on their time.

Children/teens are highly entertained and stimulated by technology. It may take more encouragement than past generations to start reading. But once you get into a routine and make it a joyful experience, it can enrich your family life and deepen your intimacy while promoting valuable skills for school and life success. The steps below include specific, practical strategies and effective conversation starters to support family reading cooperatively.

Becoming intentional about a daily reading routine, looking for ways to incorporate reading into family time spent together, and considering the quality of the experience of reading together can all contribute to a child’s/teen’s development.

Today, in the short term, reading can create

● greater opportunities for connection and enjoyment

● opportunity for dialogue and reflection

● a direct and simple way to influence your child’s/teen’s positive development

Tomorrow, in the long term,...