30 Days Of Parenting Teenagers Prompts

Author: Alyice Edrich

Creative Writing Prompts For Parenting How-To Articles

Take an idea below, modify it, change, it, or expand on it. But whatever you do, don’t stop until you turn it into a 500 to 1,000 word article geared towards helping parents raise happy, healthy toddlers. Write a how-to article for a parenting magazine. (Remember to cite your sources.)

How do you know your teenager’s ready to date?
What is the right age to have the “sex” talk?
How often should I discuss the issues of drugs?
How often should I discuss drinking and driving with my teenager?
What rules or advice should I give my teenager before attending a party?
How can I monitor my teenager’s online activity?
How much space should I give my teenager?
How much independence is too much independence for a teenager?
What kind of restriction works best with teenagers?
How can I let my teenager know I was wrong without undermining my own authority?
How many sports or extracurricular activities should I allow my teenager to get involved in?
Should my teenager go to school, participate in an extracurricular activity, and take on a part-time job?
How can I help my teenager prepare for college?
How can I help my teenager pick the right college courses or career?
How can I help my teenager improve his grades? What incentives can I provide? When should I hire a private tutor?
How can I boost my teenager’s self-esteem without smothering him/her?
How do I know it’s time to let go and allow my teenager to make mistakes on his/her own?
How can I help my teenager deal with loss in his/her life? i.e. loss of a friend, a relative, a pet, a job, etc.
How can I help my teenager make the transition to a new school and a new town?
How can I help my teenager prepare to move out on his/her own and handle the responsibilities of being totally on his/her own?
How can I help my teenager understand the consequences of his/her actions?
How can I teach my teenager to handle his/her finances in a healthy way? i.e. budgeting, saving, tithing, how debt works, paying off debt, staying out of debt, etc.
What can I do about my teenager’s behavioral problem? i.e. staying out past curfew, talking back, stealing, mood swings, anger problem, depression, lack of respect for those in authority, etc.
How can I help my adopted child find his/her biological parent and accept that person into his/her life when I feel so betrayed or hurt by his/her need to do so?
How can I help my teenager understand that just because I am remarrying doesn’t mean I love him/her any less and it doesn’t mean he/she is betraying his/her other parent by accepting my new spouse in his/her life?
What are some fun ways I can learn to bond with my teenager to make his/her transition into adulthood smoother, while still allowing us to have a close relationship?
My teenager says that ____ embarrasses him/her when we’re out in public. I shouldn’t have to change to please my teenager, but I would like to ease the tension in this area. What can I do?
How can I help my teenagers remain friends and just not sibling who tolerate each other as they transition from child to teen to adult?
How can I raise a teenager who not only attends church, but actually has a relationship with God?
How can I help my teenager become less influenced by the media?

Bonus Round:

Practice interviewing. Call a few colleagues, friends, or family members and ask questions related to the theme of your choice. Then weave the article around the quotes.
Talk to a psychologist, school counselor, child expert, or physician, and let him/her know that you don’t have an assignment yet, but you will pitch the article to target-appropriate magazines.