- Body
- Fitness
- Nutrition
- Illness &
disability-
- Types of illnesses and disabilities
- Dealing with medical issues
- Coping with your feelings
- Taking care of your body
- Dealing with school
- Relationships
- Becoming independent
- For friends and family
- Stories, celebrities, chats, and other fun stuff
-
Quiz: How much do you know about taking good care of yourself?
-
-
Links to more information
-
-
- Drugs, alcohol
& smoking - Your
feelings - Relationships
- Bullying
- Safety
- Your
future - Environmental
health
Skip section navigation (navigation may have changed)
Section navigation
http://www.girlshealth.gov/
Relationships
Parents, stepparents, grandparents, and guardians
Kim has been fighting with her parents a lot lately. She thinks her parents’ rules are unfair. They tell her she needs to listen and follow their rules.
Your relationship with your parents/guardians may be confusing right now. As you get older, you can do more things on your own. You also have more freedom to spend time with other people, like friends or crushes. You may feel you are ready to choose where you go and what you do. But, you need to follow your parents'/guardians' rules. They make rules because they care about you and want you to be safe. Their rules may make you angry, though, and you may find that you’re fighting with your parents/guardians more than you used to.
Try this game to learn tips on how to get along with parents, stepparents, grandparents, or guardians!
(If the tool above does not appear, please take a look at our text version of this tool.
Viewing the above requires the Adobe Flash Player.)
Each family is unique and special. No matter what type of family you have, sometimes there will be tough times as you grow up. Keep in mind, your parents/guardians make rules because they love you and want to keep you safe. It's important to listen to your parents/guardians and follow their rules.
Learn more about talking to parents and other adults as a teen.
Facing tough times with your family
Sometimes families go through very tough times. Many teens struggle with problems such as divorce or a family member's illness. Check out the information below to help you deal.
- Do you take care of someone in your family? It can be tough taking care of someone else. For tips on how to deal, check out our Young caregivers section.
- Having a tough time because your parents are getting divorced? Dealing with the changes that go along with divorce can be very tough, but it will get easier. For helpful tips, check out Dealing with Divorce and Separation: A Guide for Teens.
- Do you have a parent/guardian or grandparent with an illness or disability? Learn more about how to handle this common issue in our Illness and disabilities section.
Stepparents
Learning to get along with a stepparent is hard for some teens. A new stepparent can make you worry about how you fit into the family, and whether your parent loves you as much as they did before. There may be times when you feel sad and upset, even if you like your stepparent. A new stepparent can mean new rules in your house, and sometimes new siblings, too.
Here are some tips on getting along with your stepparent(s).
Content last updated September 22, 2009
