Your 12-14 year-old (Pre)Teen
Diet:
- Offer 3 regular meals & healthy snacks. Eat meals as a family
if possible. Limit fast foods, junk foods and sweets.
- Your (pre)teen should drink 16-24 oz. of skim or low fat milk
each day. Other dairy products, like yogurt & cheese are important
for calcium needs. If milk is not consumed or “only with
cereal”-substitute calcium fortified juice or ask about
calcium supplementation.
- Multivitamins may be used if your teen’s diet is consistently
inadequate.
- Express any concerns about weight or “preoccupation with
weight”/body image/eating/food choices with your provider.
Sleep:
- Maintenance of a regular bedtime during the week and also on
the weekends is very important for a (pre)teen. Between 12-14
years of age, 9-10 hours of sleep each night is recommended. Catching
up on weekends is not recommended.
Development:
- Regular physical activity/exercise is very important. Be active
with your (pre)teen.
- Peer relationships and acceptance become increasingly more important.
Your (pre)teen may need some guidance handling peer pressure.
- Signs of puberty may have already appeared. Talk to your teen
about body changes and his/her feelings. Use correct terminology.
- Your (pre)teen is preoccupied and anxious about the physical
changes in his/her body and may be overly critical of these changes-
boost body image.
- Answer questions about sex and about physical/emotional feelings
in an open, honest manner.
- Beware! Your (pre)teen may wish for more privacy at this time!
- Your (pre)teen may wonder “am I normal” and “no
one understands” – let them know in words and actions
that you care and have had similar feelings.
- Prepare/talk to your daughter about her menstrual cycle- encourage
her to plot its regular (or irregular) occurrence on a monthly
calendar.
Safety:
- Your 12-14 year-old should be secured in a lap/shoulder restraint
in the back seat. Be a role model & buckle up too!
- Use PABA-free sunscreen with SPF >15. Avoid tanning salons.
- Keep guns and ammunition locked in separate places. Ask the
parents of your (pre) teen’s friends about gun storage and
safety in their house.
- If your (pre)teen is a non-swimmer, enroll in organized swimming
lessons. Knowing how to “swim” does not ensure safety
in or near water. Your teen should be taught where & how to
dive safely.
- Use a properly fitted bicycle helmet & protective gear and
teach bicycle/ roller-blade/scooter safety.
- Teach the “rules of the road” when on foot, in a
car, or on a bicycle (wear a helmet!)
- Use appropriate protective equipment during sports – helmet,
mouth guard, & shatterproof eye gear.
- Discuss stranger safety, playground safety & sports safety.
Discuss privacy.
- Discuss avoidance of tobacco, alcohol, drugs (including inhalants),
and guns. Keep an open line of communication about the hazards
and the side effects- be a good role model.
(Pre)Teen’s Acetaminophen Dose:
Every 4-6 hours & no more than 5 doses/day
60-71 lb. = 2 ½ tsp.
72-95 lb. = 3 tsp.; 6 chewtabs; 1 325 mg
96-119lb. =4 chewtabs; 2 325 mg
(Pre)teen’s Ibuprofen Dose:
Every 6-8 hours & no more than 3 doses/day
60-71 lb. = 2 ½ tsp., 5 chews,1 200 mg
72-95 lb. = 3 tsp., 6 chews, 1 200 mg
96-119lb. = 2 200 mg tabs
General Parental Guidance:
- Schedule dental visits every 6 months, have your teen brush
twice a day. Flossing everyday is just as important.
- Limit the amount of TV/computer games- monitor the subject matter.
Avoid violence. Know who they are emailing and what web sites
they are accessing.
- Rules & expectations should be discussed, clarified, and
enforced.
- Spend time with your teen everyday - encourage reading &
hobbies, take an interest in your (pre)teen’s day at school,
and get to know your teen’s friends.
- Do not over schedule your (pre)teen. Too many activities outside
of school can be stressful for the whole family.
- Help your teen learn about healthy lifestyles – hygiene,
exercise and good nutrition. Be a good role model.
- Encourage your (pre)teen’s independence and self-responsibility.
Assign household chores and give a small allowance so he/she can
learn to manage money.
- Teens over 13 years of age can babysit after taking a babysitting
class.
At Today's & Each Yearly Checkup:
- Your (pre)teen will have a physical examination and have a chance
to ask confidential questions.
- Your questions and concerns will be answered. A routine urinalysis
will be done.
- Please discuss any changes that have occurred in your household
recently with your provider.
- Your (pre)teen may be taught how to perform breast/testicular
self exam.
- Your (pre)teen may need a tuberculosis skin test, tetanus booster,
and/or the meningitis (Menactra) vaccine.
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