So I’ve been doing a little research online for an article I’m writing about teens and sleep.  There are some really great websites out there for and about adolescents so I thought I would share what I found with you all.

GirlsHealth.gov- this website is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is really a great place for tween girls.  With information on healthy eating, body image, friendship advice, dating, and more, it’s the kind of site you can happily let your daughter explore on her own.  I only wish they offered a boys health companion site.  So often the boys in this age group get overlooked.

TeensHealth- another website from HHS, this site is geared toward the older teens (high school aged).  Similar in content to the GirlsHealth. gov, it does have a sexual health component and an “ask the expert” section as well.  If you have (or work with) younger kids be sure to check out KidsHealth.org too.

TeenHealth FX- this is a pretty informative site from Atlantic Health’s Community Health Education and the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at Goryeb Children’s Hospital in New Jersey.  This site is chock full of great information and content developed by teenagers.  There are some cheesy lists but overall I think it is laid out in a way that is informative and accessible without being too juvenile.  It also offers an “ask the expert” section and it addresses serious mental health concerns such as depression & suicidality, cutting, dating violence with candor and thoughtfulness.  It’s a really excellent site for teens, parents, educators, and clinicians.  And they have links to other useful resources.

We’re Talking and We’re Talking Too- these sites are from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and offer another source of good information.  The teen site (We’re Talking) is divided into 3 main categories- general health, emotional health, and sexual health all of which offer reliable information as best I can tell.  There’s even an article on piercings and tattoos (great way to scare your kid away from the belly ring)  The pre-teen site (We’re Talking Too) is a little more juvenile in its design which might turn some of the 11-12 year olds but it still has good information and if you get your 9 or 10 year old understanding that there are quality resources on the web with health information, then by the time they reach puberty they’ll know how to distinguish good information from urban legend and fake science.

Hope you find these useful and I’ll keep you posted on that sleep article too.  Happy surfing…

~Esther