Well Visit, 12 Years to Young Teen: Care Instructions

Forming healthy eating habits

• Make meals a time to connect.
• Offer fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks.
• Limit fast food. Help your teen make healthier food choices when you eat out.
• Offer water instead of drinks high in sugar or caffeine.
• Put away electronic devices.

Practicing healthy habits

• Encourage your teen to be active for at least 1 hour each day. Ride bikes or walk together, if you can.
• Limit screen time.
• Do not smoke or allow others to smoke around your teen.
• Help your teen to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

Keeping your teen safe

• Wear your seat belt to show your teen that it's important.
• Teach that drinking alcohol and doing drugs can be harmful. Tell your teen to call for a ride if the person driving was drinking or doing drugs.
• Make sure your teen wears a helmet that fits well when riding a bike or scooter.
• If you have guns, lock them up unloaded. Lock ammunition away from guns.
• Remind your teen to be careful online. Talk about what's safe and not safe to share online.

Parenting your teen

• Try to accept the natural changes in your teen and your relationship with your teen.
• Respect your teen's privacy. Be clear about any safety concerns you have.
• Set realistic rules with clear consequences. But be reasonable as your teen tries to do things without you.
• Tell your teen why you think school is important. Show interest in your teen's school.

Talking about sex

• Start talking about sex early. This will make it less awkward each time.
• Discuss your values and beliefs. Your teen can use your values to develop their own set of beliefs.
• Talk about condom use and birth control before your teen is sexually active. Talk about unwanted pregnancy.
• Talk to your teen about common STIs (sexually transmitted infections).

Getting vaccines

Make sure your teen gets all the recommended vaccines.

Follow-up care is a key part of your child's treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if your child is having problems. It's also a good idea to know your child's test results and keep a list of the medicines your child takes.