Resources for Parents

Parenting an adolescent can be a challenging task, which can become even more challenging if your child is experiencing mental health or behavioural difficulties. Understanding these difficulties and supporting your teen through these experiences can seem overwhelming and complicated, and can impact everyone in the family. If you are concerned about your adolescent’s thoughts, moods, or behaviours, or for more information and support, click on some of the resources listed below or contact us at Frontenac Youth Services.
PARENT RESOURCES

Parenting is a challenging responsibility, and at times parenting a teenager may seem like even more of a struggle. This period of transition, for both parents and adolescents, can be difficult to navigate. If you feel you are struggling to parent your adolescent, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

TEEN MENTAL HEALTH DURING QUARANTINE
COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR TEEN
As many parents realize, communicating with your adolescent can be difficult to initiate and maintain. Adolescents begin to communicate more with their peers and less with their families, but preserving positive communication with your teen is an important part of retaining your bond and providing support and education. If you feel the communication between yourself and your adolescent is suffering, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

MANAGING TEEN DEFIANCE AND MISBEHAVIOUR
Most adolescents can behave defiantly and misbehave at some point, and managing that misbehaviour can seem more challenging as your child ages into adolescence. Even though defiance and misbehaviour can be common for youths, this type of behaviour becomes problematic when issues persist at school, with peers, in the community, and at home. If you are feeling overwhelmed with your adolescent’s defiance and misbehaviour, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

DEALING WITH CYBERBULLYING

Cyberbullying is a broad term and is any form of abuse repeatedly directed at a child through technology by another child. This could be online through social media, like Facebook, or via text messages on their mobile phones.

DEALING WITH TEEN ANGER
All adolescents experience anger at some point, just as everyone does, but when a teen is unsure how to moderate or cope with their anger, it can have a considerable influence. Your teen’s anger can impact their interactions and relationships, their mood, their sleeping and eating habits, and their risk to harming themselves or others. If you are concerned about your adolescent’s anger, or how to manage this, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

DEALING WITH TEEN SADNESS
Sadness is a natural emotion and all teens will experience bouts of sadness during their teen years. It can be difficult to see your adolescent feeling sad, especially if you are concerned that their sadness may be occurring too frequently or too intensely. It also may be unsettling if you’re unsure how best to support them, or unsure if they need additional supports. If you are concerned about your adolescent’s experiences of sadness, or how to manage this, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

DEALING WITH TEEN WORRY
Adolescent years can be filled with stress and worry, for both the parents and the developing teen. Some amount of worry during adolescence is quite normal, but if worry seems to be impacting your teen, additional supports may be of assistance. Irritability, sleep and appetite difficulties, fidgeting, avoidance, fearfulness, and nervousness are all signs of anxiety and can be challenging to manage. If you are concerned about your adolescent’s experiences of worry, or how to manage this, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

DEALING WITH TEEN ATTENTION/ IMPULSIVITY PROBLEMS
Attention and impulsivity difficulties usually are noticed during childhood, but can still be quite impactful for adolescents. Sometimes attention and impulsivity concerns manifest differently during teenage years, and can still be challenging for parents to manage despite their child growing older. If you are concerned about your adolescent’s attention and impulsivity problems, or how to manage this, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

DEALING WITH TEEN EATING DISORDERS
Eating disorders can be complex and concerning for adults, and the same can be said when adolescents experience disordered eating. It is not uncommon for teenagers to be concerned with their diet or appearance, or to eat considerable quantities of food when growing, but if these behaviours seem to be overwhelming your adolescent or impacting their life, additional supports may be needed. If you are concerned about your adolescent’s eating, or how to manage this, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

DEALING WITH SUBSTANCE USE

Some adolescents may experiment with using substances during their teen years, while others may abstain completely. Substance use can be alarming for any parent, and many struggle with how to handle such a situation. Adolescent substance use can range from recreational to severe, and can impact mood, behaviour, interactions, eating and sleeping habits, school and work success, relationships, and physical health and safety. If you are concerned about your adolescent’s substance use, or how to manage this, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

DEALING WITH TEEN BULLYING
The effects of bullying can last for years, and impact self-esteem, ability to trust, sense of security, and overall mood. Trying to help your adolescent, whether you feel they are being bullied or are the bully themselves, can be extremely challenging. If you are concerned about your adolescent’s experiences with bullying, or how to manage this, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

DEALING WITH SELF HARM AND SUICIDE
Some of the scariest moments for a parent are when their child is hurt, and if their adolescent is thinking of or engaging in self-harm, it can seem beyond understanding. Self-harm can be a form of expressing intense emotions, such as anger, worry, and sadness, and can happen when one is dealing with unrest in their life. Suicidal thoughts can emerge when a teen feels they can no longer cope with their current circumstances and such thoughts can pass with appropriate supports. If you feel your adolescent is currently at risk of seriously harming themselves, call the Durham Mental Health Services Crisis Response Line at 1-800-742-1890, the Kids’ Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868, or 9-1-1. If you are concerned about your adolescent’s self-harm or suicidal thoughts, or how to manage this, contact us at Frontenac Youth Services or visit the following websites for further support.

Does your Child Need help at home?

  • Do you constantly argue with your adolescent or your partner about your adolescent’s behaviour?
  • Do you feel like you are unable to control your teen?
  • Do you wish that you could talk to your child or were closer to them but do not know how to approach them?
  • Do you feel that you need assistance in supporting your adolescent with their mental health concerns?
  • Does your adolescent feel very anxious for no reason, isolated, different than their friends or overly self-conscious?

Does your Child Need Help at school?

  • Does your adolescent feel depressed about school all the time?
  • Do you worry that your adolescent will never be successful?
  • Is it hard for you to get your adolescent to attend school?
  • Are your adolescent’s moods and behaviours causing them difficulty at school?
  • Has your adolescent’s school expressed concerns about their functioning in school?

Does your child Need help in your community?

  • Do you worry about your adolescent’s friends?
  • Are your adolescent and their friends behaving in a way that worries or upsets you or would upset your family or relatives?
  • Is your adolescent involved in behaviours that could lead to court action, which might stop them from achieving future plans?
  • Has your adolescent been involved in unsafe, risky, or criminal behaviour in the community?

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO MORE THAN ONE QUESTION ABOVE, PLEASE CONSIDER PROFESSIONAL HELP

All of these feelings are feelings all teenagers have at some time. Many adults have these feelings also.  However, if you find that any of these issues are heavily interfering in your child’s life,  Frontenac Youth Services is here to help.

Contact Central Intake to get a referral for your child at 1-888-454-6275

Other Sites and Resources

For further services and support in our community, please visit the websites of our partnering agencies listed below.

Ministry of Child and Youth Services

The Ministry of Children and Youth Services was created to make it easier for families to find the services to give kids the best start in life, make it easier for families to access the services they need at all stages of a child’s development, and help youth become productive adults. The ministry is working with government and community partners to develop and implement policies, programs and a service system that helps give children the best possible start in life, prepare youth to become productive adults and make it easier for families to access the services they need at all stages of a child’s development.

Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services

Kinark Child and Family Services

Kinark Child and Family Services is a leading children’s mental health organization in Ontario that provides evidence-based services that include individual, family and group counselling for children and youth living with mental health issues. Kinark supports children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families as well as offers institutionally and community-based forensic services. Kinark also operates the Kinark Outdoor Centre in Minden Ontario, providing programming, respite and therapeutic recreation.

Kinark Child and Family Services

Chimo Youth and Family Services

Chimo Youth and Family Services is a community based, not for profit agency, that helps with behaviour problems, anger problems, inability to get along, self management skills, social skills, school problems, responsibility, problem solving, separation and loss, depression, anxiety, self- injuring, suicidal attempt or talk, sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Chimo focuses its services on children and youth but understands the importance of family for it is within strong families that children and youth can dream, hope and realize their potential.

Chimo Youth and Family Services

Durham Mental Health Services

Durham Mental Health Services (DMHS) is a charitable not-for-profit agency providing services and supports to individuals and families who are living with mental health concerns. Operating under the direction of a volunteer Board of Directors, staff work in partnership with clients, offering services that are person-centred and sensitive to individual needs.

Durham Mental Health Services

HELP IS A POSSIBILITY. READ STORIES FROM OTHERS WHO STRUGGLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS.

Frontenac Youth Services Skip to content