Hi – Sue Blaney here with your Parenting Tip from Parenting Teens Info.com

My tip this week is to
Identify Local Resources Before You are in a Jam >>Listen

Emergencies happen in families. At some time you will be faced with something that really feels like a crisis. When that happens, it’s a whole lot better to be prepared rather than just beginning to identify the resources that can help you. I’ll bet you are already pretty organized in regards to your child’s school records and health records. So, today, create a new folder that is dedicated to resources you might need someday. Because if someday comes you’ll be really grateful that you have this information at your fingertips.

Let’s say all of a sudden you’re worried your teenager might be depressed. You’ll need a therapist – right? If you already have the names of the local therapists who come recommended and work with teens, you’re ahead of the game. So here’s what to do: when you hear a recommendation or comment about a good therapist, jot down that therapist’s name and put it in this folder of resources. Or, let’s say you are reading the local paper and see an ad for a community health clinic that specializes in reproductive health. Much as you hope to be the go-to person should your teenager become sexually active, it can be helpful to know of a place to which you can refer her if necessary. If she prefers to keep you at arms length while managing her own decisions you still want to be sure she’s getting professional care. And timing can be important in some of these instances …you may need to have answers that are readily available.

In what other areas might resources come in handy? Well, it will depend on areas of interest, need and activity for your particular kids. Here are some suggested areas where you may want to collect resource information:

• Tutors
• SAT Prep course,
• College admission advisors
• Drivers Ed schools
• Skid schools
• Good places for summer jobs like nearby camps
• Adult dentists, doctors and gynecologists
• Orthopedic doctors

Please comment here on the blog if you have other suggestions to add to this list.

And make sure you do have those contacts at school clearly identified. You know the name of your teen’s guidance counselor – right?

These simple things can really save you time when you need to hop on an issue fast, so be prepared and organized.

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Teens…….

Til next time…I'm Sue Blaney.