Welcome to the teen years! This time is often overwhelming for parents, especially if this is the first child to enter the teen years.  More and more, parents express the frustration of raising their child, especially a teen, in a more secularized society.

The good news? You, as parent/parents, do not have to navigate the teen years alone! Many parents have gone before you and can be a GPS for these years.

The youth ministry staff at St. Benedict does not only serve and minster to the young people, but also to the parents of those young people. The youth ministry staff is always here to support you in your efforts to raise your teen in the faith. We pull together resources from youth ministers, parents, and the latest research to provide you with knowledge, recommendations, and ideas.

Listed below are a number of links to documents and websites that you may find helpful; some are very serious and others posses a humor. In addition the youth ministry office owns copies of a fabulous short book entitled Raising Happy, Healthy, and Holy Teenagers” by Dr. Bob McCarty, former director of the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry.

We hope that you find what you need below, but if you do not, we are always a phone call or email away! We will always be here to help you to the best of our ability! Please check back for frequent updates and additional resources!

General Faith Resources

How to Affirm Your Teenager (document)
Making the Faith Stick (magazine article)
Helping Your Teen Grow in Faith (document of complied research)

Bullying

Important of Talking to Your Kid about Bullying (article from Roy Petitfils, LPC)
STOP Cyberbullying (website for kids, teens, parents, and educators on cyberbullying)
Stopbullyingnow.gov (website on education, prevention, and response to all forms of bullying)
            includes videos, articles, state laws, and many other resources for both parents and teens
It's Time to Silence the Gossip (LifeTeen Article by a college student)
He Was Only 14: A Case to End Bullying (includes 6 points everyone should know about the effect of their actions)
You Can't Sit with Us: The Secret of Being a Mean Girl (5 tips for girls to remember when they feel pressure to be mean)
I Was Bullied (LIfeTeen article for teens who are bullied and how to invite God into their life)

Pastoral Care/Issue Resources
Grief Resources (document complied with assistance from a mental health professional)
When a Suicide Occurs (document complied with assistance from a mental health professional)
Rising from the Grief of Suicide (faith based magazine article)
A Christian Response to Violence (link to NFCYM web resources)
A Christian Response to Racism (link to NFCYM web resources)

Media Resources
Common Sense Media Resource (website on all forms of media)

UPDATED 5/17/17