Navigating the middle and high school years with your child can feel like stepping into unfamiliar territory—full of change, growth and new challenges. As your child seeks more independence and begins to explore their identity, they’ll also face increased exposure to peer pressure, social situations and risky behaviors like underage drinking and substance use.
Your role as a parent remains as important as ever. By staying connected, encouraging healthy choices and keeping open lines of communication, you can guide your child through these formative years with confidence and care. Supporting their independence doesn’t mean stepping back; it means showing up in new ways, staying informed and leaning on trusted resources to help you support your child’s well-being.
Whether you’re starting conversations or navigating tricky topics, these trusted resources can help you stay informed, confident and connected as your child grows.
1. Ask, Listen, Learn
Created by Responsibility.org, this resource helps parents start early, age-appropriate conversations about the dangers of underage drinking and other substance use. The parent hub includes facts, conversation starters and tips to keep the dialogue open as kids grow into adolescence.
2. Operation Parent Webinars
Operation Parent offers free, expert-led webinars on timely topics like substance use, mental health, online safety and more. Designed for busy parents, these sessions offer practical tools and current information to help you guide your child through today’s challenges. Can’t make it to a live webinar? Recordings are sent out to all registrants after, and their on-demand library is full of past webinars.
3. Partnership to End Addiction
This national nonprofit offers a wide range of support for parents, including a prevention guide, text-based support and early action tips to help families identify warning signs and take steps before problems escalate.
4. SAMHSA’s “Talk. They Hear You.” App
SAMHSA’s free mobile app helps parents build skills and confidence to talk with their kids about alcohol and other drugs. The app includes conversation goals, sample scenarios and tips for handling real-life situations—all designed to make prevention a natural part of parenting.
GUIDE shares helpful information for parents and other adults in our Inspired to Make Healthy Choices newsletters, including Talking to Your Kids About Substance Use, Supporting Teen Mental Health and Preventing Teen Substance Use. Interested in what you see? Subscribe now to receive this free monthly newsletter right to your inbox each month!