A little understanding can go a long way, which is why we've asked psychologist Anjula Mutanda to explain what's going on in a teenager's brain. What makes them push the boundaries or rebel against their parents and how do you as a parent take stock and work through it with them?

Teenagers' behaviour can be baffling, stressful, hurtful and often worrying. But in most cases it does not mean there is anything more serious going on than the natural process of becoming an adult.

In this section you will find useful information to support you on your parenting journey.

Tweens have their fair share of physical and more importantly emotional development needs that need to be met.

This Padlet has been created to hopefully provide some useful links, information and resources to support you on this journey.

This Padlet can be used by parents, carers and professionals. Some content may be suitable to share with your tween or teen, but please check the resource carefully for suitability before doing so.

• Each column is titled for ease of search

• Click on the website link or photograph to open the web page/document

• use the search at the top right corner of the page or scroll right to see all topics

• Scroll down each column to find additional links/information, some of which may be useful to share with others as guided by the intended audience in the column title and descriptions

• Items in BLUE - statutory guidance

• Items in RED - may incur a cost

• Items in GREEN - have been shared by a colleague or school

If you wish to comment on any of the content or provide feedback on the benefit of this Padlet please email eshawh@nottscc.gov.uk

If you have found a useful website, document or further information which you wish to share with others via this Padlet please email details to eshawh@nottscc.gov.uk

Our guide, Kids Slang 2024, offers you a lifeline in this sea of new words and phrases, which seamlessly blend pop culture references and traditional linguistic twists, creating a unique lexicon that defines their generation.

By understanding these terms, you can better connect with your children and navigate conversations with ease, proving particularly beneficial for parents aiming to bridge the generational language gap.

This guide will provide you with an insight into why teens craft their own slang, delve into general slang terms including ‘bts’, ‘bet’, ‘goat’, ‘facts’, and ‘rizz’, and explore the influence of social media on language evolution.

More importantly, for parents, it includes practical advice on using this knowledge to foster open communication and stronger relationships with your children. It’s an indispensable tool for any parent looking to stay informed and connected in 2024.

If your child is transitioning from year 6 to year 7 or going through a significant change in their life, take a look at our ten tips for parents to help their children cope with change. Going through change can be scary or challenging, but sometimes it's just the small things, like showing interest in your child's hobbies, that can make a difference.

If your child is transitioning from primary to secondary school, there are some practical steps you can take to ensure this important transition feels as positive as possible for both you and your child.

This short guide provides tips about how children preparing for, or going through, the transition to secondary school can best be supported by their parents and carers.

It includes guidance which explains why the transition can be difficult for some children, and practical advice such as talking and connecting with the new school, as well as suggested resources that children and parents and carers may find useful.

Every secondary school runs a year 6 to year 7 transition programme of some sort, comprising a few visits, summer holiday events and open evenings. Children with EHCPs and on the SEN register generally get something extra. Fran from Square Peg shares her thoughts and led an SENexchange discussion.

Parentline is a confidential text messaging service for parents and carers across Nottinghamshire.

The texting service is an easy way for parent and carers of children aged 0-19 years to confidentially ask for help about a range of issues, such as:

• feeding and nutrition

• child development

• parenting advice and support

• emotional health and wellbeing

• behaviour difficulties

• family health

Families provide safety, security, encouragement, and nurture as well as reasonable expectations and limits. Children need both emotional support and boundaries as they meet the challenge of each stage of their development. The relationship between parents and their children helps them develop mentally, physically and emotionally, helping them to develop secure skills to navigate transitions across their lifetime. In turn, enabling them to thrive as confident, well-adjusted adults.

Access video resources:

• Moving up to primary school

• Moving up to secondary school

• Moving up to secondary school for children with additional considerations.

In this section you will find useful information to support you on your parenting journey.

Children in this age bracket may not like to collectively be referred to as 'children' preferring instead 'teens', 'teenagers', 'young people' or indeed 'young adult'.

Being a teen means having to deal with physical, social, emotional and cognitive turmoil. Often not being understood by the adults around them, having to deal with pressure like taking formal exams and learning to find their place in the world.

(please note this is an American site and may not reflect systems and expectations in the UK)

All children might experience big upsets from time to time. Sometimes their emotions escalate and become overwhelming. Their behaviour can then also escalate and become destructive. Or some children might ‘shut down’ and refuse to listen.

• pornography

• relationships

• sleep

• drugs

• exploitation

Each week they’ll reminisce and commiserate as they attempt to write the ‘commandments’ of modern teenagedom…because the best teen advice comes from those who know every trick in the book.

In this section you will find helpful advice, guidance and support for a range of services and organisations including:

• Young Minds

• In Our Place - Solihull Approach

• Supporting Children with SEND

• Anna Freud

(please note this is an American site and may not reflect systems and expectations in the UK)

Including;

• CEOP Education team run an education programme which provides training, resources and information for children and young people age 4-18, their families and professionals who work with them. this website is part of the programme and is designed to be shared with parents and carers

• Internet Matters - online safety advice regarding children aged 0-5

• Internet Maters - online safety advice regarding children aged 6-11

• Internet Matters - online safety advice regarding children aged 11-13

• Internet Matters - online safety advice regarding children aged 14+

• NSPCC - phone safety toolkit (NSPCC & Vodafone UK) and Digital parenting programme

• Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) - tips for helping children stay safe online

• Childnet - social media algorithms - advice for parents and carers

...plus much more.

Including;

• Link to the Anti-Bullying Alliance's latest toolkit for parents and carers

• Parent Advice Line - kidscape offering friendly, impartial, non-judgemental information, advice and support

• The Diana Award - free resources all about anti-bullying

• Free anti-bullying training session for parents, carers and guardians, as well as access to a variety of information pages about bullying

• Early Years

• Children and Young People

• KS2-KS3

• Preparing for adulthood

• Information for parents

You will learn about:

A. To understand why teens take risks
B. To understand why this generation may be different
C. To discover some practical ways to support healthy risk taking

This introductory course is aimed at parents and carers of teenagers with sleep difficulties.

The aim is to provide you with online learning to develop your understanding of your child’s sleep issue and to use this knowledge alongside a copy of the Teen Sleep Journal (posted to you) to share with your child to support them through a four-week programme.

Our training and Teen Sleep Journal have been developed by working in collaboration with young people and professionals in the field. We firmly believe in empowering young people with sleep knowledge so that they can make informed choices about their sleep routines.

There is also an additional live Q&A drop in session that you can book on to.

There is a great deal of emphasis on teaching teens about healthy eating and exercise but not enough on the importance of a good night’s sleep.  Sleep problems can be a very serious issue and lack of sleep has been linked to obesity, depression and impaired learning.

If you’re having trouble getting your teenager out of bed in a morning, then there are several practical hints and tips that may help. Talking over worries may well help to put them into perspective.

We have created a variety of online Padlets to help colleagues from our schools and partners find relevant and reliable information and quality resources for a range of different topics and themes from our team's remits. 

We would appreciate it if you could complete this short evaluation form, please, so that we can understand whether the Padlets have been helpful for you and so we can understand whether there is anything that we can do differently to further improve the Padlets in the future. It would be helpful to know which Padlets you've accessed, what you've used them for and if there's anything you feel is missing. 

The form should only take a few minutes to complete but will provide valuable feedback to our Team and our managers. 
Your feedback will be anonymous, unless you choose to enter your name/email address. 

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This thoughtful and engaging lesson helps pupils explore the wide range of emotions they may experience as they prepare to leave primary school. From pride and excitement to uncertainty and sadness, the session encourages open discussion and reflection. It supports children in understanding that their feelings are valid and that their time in primary school has helped shape who they are.

The lesson features the Life Lessons cast of characters and personified emotions to help pupils connect with their own feelings.

A perfect resource to guide students through this important milestone and a taster for the full set of transition materials that are available now for Life Lessons partner schools.

As your child develops and gets access to their own devices, it's important to help them understand and create a healthy balance. 

Get screen-time tips for 11-14s from Internet Matters.

The Internet Matters leaflets are great to put in book bags or to offer out at parents’ evenings to help them get up to speed on how they can support their child to make positive choices when they're online.

There is no cost for the printed leaflets, so schools only need to cover postage and packaging (priced from £3.95). The maximum number of leaflets per order is 600, with a limit of 300 per leaflet title.

Discover leaflets for:

>>> Primary school children (all ages)

>>> Children moving to secondary soon

Topics include:

• Development and additional needs

• School life

• Home and family life

• Feelings and behaviour

• Early parenting

High quality, accessible, specialist teaching. Built around the primary RSE curriculum, with additional topics specific to learners with Down’s syndrome and learning difficulties.

Free to sign up and access, anywhere, anytime.

Videos include:

• Respectful Relationships

• Respectful Friendship

• Mate Crime

• Social Media

• Phone Etiquette

• Love

• Starting a Relationship

• Ending a Relationship

• Obsession

There’s no manual, and it can be hard to keep up with the

fast-changing digital world your child moves through every

day. This guide aims to make those conversations easier

and help you support your child with confidence

• Understand the key anxieties for young people transitioning to secondary school

• Develop positive strategies for supporting young people who are experiencing difficulties making the transition

• Understand the four key themes chosen by young people to help them through the transition to secondary school.

• Sign-post young people and their parents / carers / support networks to useful resources, including the Charlie Waller Institute Resilience Rucksack 

What does porn teach them? Often, it's harmful misinformation, such as:

1. sex is violent

2. your body has to look a certain way

3. consent doesn't matter.

It's never too early or too late to start the conversation.

* The importance of taking a positive approach to children’s bodies and sexual development.

* How to have factual conversations about bodies and puberty with your child.

* Managing awkwardness when discussing bodies and sexual development.

* Adapting conversations to your child’s needs.

* The importance of taking a positive approach to children’s bodies and sexual development.

* How to have factual conversations about bodies and puberty with your child.

* Managing awkwardness when discussing bodies and sexual development.

* Adapting conversations to your child’s needs.