Many teens show attitude in some way or another, right? Because they are unique, each teen shows and handles behavior differently. Some of them hate everything around them (parents sometimes receive the most of this hate); some go into their own shell and barely talk to anyone; some get frequent mood swings and get annoyed by everything (again, parents usually get the brunt of this annoyance); and some teens seem depressed all the time. This last one is the most dangerous, as you cannot always tell whether there is a particular reason your child is depressed, or if it is just the way he or she is handling adolescence.

But researchers have found that social media is a main cause of depression in teens today, and that young people who used social media more frequently had higher chances of suffering from depression.

Doctors say that there are many possible reasons teens can get depressed from using social media:

The illusion of a happy life

Take a look at what kind of pictures teens are posting. Most frequently it is happy moments of their lives — traveling, eating delicious food, meeting friends or attending some event. Seeing idealized representations of other teens can make your kid envious. Depression can be caused by the belief that other kids live a much happier life.

Wasted time

Social media is a well-known source of procrastination. When teens spend too many hours on it, idleness can set in and can begin to have a negative impact on mood.

Addiction

Psychologists have been highlighting more and more cases of Internet addiction in teenagers. A big number of such cases is connected to using too many social networks too often. One of the signs of this addiction is depression.

Cyberbullying

Only one out of 10 kids who are cyberbullied tells their parents or teachers about it. And the statistical numbers concerning cyberbullying grow every year.

What to do

Parents naturally want to protect their children. And in the 21st century, this may need to include protection from the negative influences of social media, too. If your kids spend a lot of time on their social profiles (whether or not they show signs of depression), you probably need to do something about it in order to reduce the chances of negative consequences. Here are some suggestions:

Discuss it with them

They are your children. And social media is a big part of their lives. Become familiar with certain aspects of social media in order to be able to better relate to them. Be understanding in that some kids take virtual interactions much more seriously than they should. Lightly discuss things you see. Have conversations about the good and bad about social media. And it shouldn't be a one-time talk; have conversations about it on a regular basis. Be someone they can trust to be understanding and loving.

Offer healthy alternatives

Teens that have an active lifestyle tend to use social media less than others. Engage them in sports, art classes, etc. Spend more time as a family. Take trips, have family picnics or simply spend evenings together playing board games.

Limit

Asking kindly for a teen to limit social media use may not always work. Sometimes you need to take more strict measures. You can set some rules for social media usage. For example, your teens can check their profiles no more than three times a day, at certain times. You can actually control this by locking social apps on your teens' phones for certain hours. There is parental control software that can do it for you.

Doing something about excessive social media use is necessary. Treating it properly before it gets out of hand can help prevent depression in your teens. Talk to your kids and observe their behavior. If you notice that your teen shows any signs of depression, seek appropriate help.

The post The reason why your teen is so depressed might suprise you appeared first on FamilyToday.

One of the most time-consuming, responsible and long-lasting jobs in the world is being a parent. It is the most rewarding work, as well. Seeing your child becoming a smart, clever young person is the best feeling ever as you know that you can take credit for that.

As with every hard job, you need much effort to succeed. Good parents read a lot about child development, regularly consult doctors, and do everything to keep their kids safe. The online world can help with all those and many more things. Practically everything that parents had to learn from many different sources before, can be learnt from the Internet now.

Here are 5 websites parent can benefit from:

Weelicious

Cooking is a big deal for families with kids. You need to know what a baby can and cannot eat; you need to get creative when your kid is old enough to be picky; you need to become a self-made dietitian when your daughter decides to go on a diet, or your son chooses to be a vegetarian. Apart from all of that, you have yourself and your spouse who wants to eat delicious non-baby food. Good thing is that there is a website that can help with all that. Wellicious offers different recipes for kids of all ages as well as for adults. A big plus of this site is that all the recipes are for healthy, nutritious and, mostly, easy meals. Besides, there are regular video tutorials starring the author of the site, Catherine, with her cute son and daughter.

AskBaby

Every parent needs to have at least one resource of getting helpful information and tips on pregnancy and baby care. AskBaby can be that source for you. You can find facts, opinions and comments on all the important topics and issues as well as leave your own comments.

There are also reviews on various baby products that young parents can find very helpful. The site is quite popular and consists of a big community of parents and parents-to-be. You can join them and feel a part of a strong group.

Healthy Children

Do you want to get health tips for your kids from the American Academy of Pediatrics? Then Healthy Children is the website for you, as it is powered by this great organization with more than 60 thousand contributing pediatricians from all over the world.

Of course, if your baby is ill, you need to go to a doctor and not look on the Internet of what it might be. However, you as a parent should know about all the possible issues, and your actions in different situations. The site is not only about taking care of health problems; you can also get the information about the best ways of raising a child, about breastfeeding, changing diapers, nutrition, puberty issues, etc. The site covers all the growing up stages starting from prenatal and finishing with young adult.

Pumpic

Keeping your kids safe and sound is one of your main goals in life, right? There are so many hazards that a parent has to be aware of. In our digital era, there are some additional risks that can be added to that list of hazards. Having a resource of protection and security tips is a must for modern parents. Pumpic can offer exactly that. It protects your kids from online dangers, informs you about their Internet activities, and provides you with numerous tips on online security and kids' protection. In our world it is a must-have.

PBS Parents

Keeping your children safe and healthy is not enough; you need to also help their mental and emotional development as you are the first teachers in life that they have. PBS Parents offers a lot of assistance with that. The site gives you material for child development on all the stages of growing. There are many different age-appropriate developing games as well as tons of material for the school period. You will help build strong literacy and math skills in your kids and get tips on how to raise them kind and smart.

Hopefully, these sites will help you raise healthy, kind and clever children that will make you proud every day.

The post 5 helpful websites every parent needs in their life appeared first on FamilyToday.