Parenting Teens in 2025

Written By Kaleigh Cornelison

What Parents Really Want

The results from my recent parent survey are in! This snapshot of parent responses showcase what resources parents and caregivers are seeking to help them navigate the teen years successfully.

In March 2025, I reached out to parents of teens and pre-teens to better understand their concerns, challenges, and resource needs. With 50 parents/caregivers responding, representing children and adolescents aged 10-18, the survey explored parents' concerns, challenges, and preferred resource format.

Age Distribution of Children/Teens

 
 

Key Topics of Interest

Parents expressed significant interest in the following topics (in order of popularity):

  1. Healthy social media use (79%): The most requested topic across all age groups

  2. How to talk about healthy relationships (70%): Particularly important for parents of 13-15 year-olds

  3. How to talk about consent (45%): Growing interest as teen age increases

  4. Digital dating abuse (40%): Higher concern among parents of older teens

  5. Supporting LGBTQ+ teens (26%): Identified as an area where parents would like additional support

  6. Teen dating violence (23%): More prevalent concern for parents of older teens

 
 

Biggest Challenges

It’s no surprise that technology and social media top the list of parental concerns. An overwhelming percentage of parents expressed interest in resources focused on healthy social media use, making it the most requested topic across all age groups.

1.Technology and screen time management (34%)

  • Phone use

  • Social media consumption

  • Internet access boundaries

  • YouTube monitoring

2. Communication and connection (21%)

  • Maintaining open dialogue

  • Being trusted as a resource

  • Balancing independence with protection

3. Mental health concerns (15%)

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Suicidal thoughts

  • Post-pandemic recovery

4. Social dynamics (11%)

  • Finding healthy friendships

  • Navigating peer pressure

  • "Mean girl" dynamics

5. Identity and development (9%)

  • Supporting LGBTQ+ identity

  • Helping teens stay true to themselves

Top Questions & Concerns

Following closely behind concerns about social media, parents reported that they want help discussing healthy relationships with their teens. This becomes particularly important for parents of 13-15 year-olds who are beginning to navigate romantic relationships. Parents also recognize the importance of discussing consent which increases notably as teen age increases.

1.Technology boundaries (28%)

  • "How to help them set healthy technology boundaries"

  • "How to handle the emotions of social media"

  • "How to ensure a healthy balance of cell phone/social media use"

2. Safety and protection (23%)

  • "How to spot warning signs in new relationships"

  • "Keeping them safe on their phones"

3. Communication (17%)

  • "Keeping them talking to me and sharing things"

  • "How and when to communicate"

  • "How can I be supportive without invading their privacy"

4. Relationships and consent (15%)

  • "How to make sure consent is always sought"

  • "How to help them choose healthy partners"

  • "Age appropriate topics we should be discussing"

5. Independence balance (11%)

  • "Making sure they have the right dose of autonomy while still being an involved parent"

  • "How to set boundaries without creating too much distance"

What Types of Resources Do Parents Want?

The survey revealed clear preferences for how parents want information delivered:

  • 62% prefer recorded trainings they can watch on their own time

  • 57% want workbooks or guides they can use with their teens

  • 51% are interested in recorded content for joint parent-teen viewing

  • 40% would participate in live virtual trainings

Notable Insights

Collaboration: Most parents prefer resources they can engage with alongside their teens, suggesting a desire for tools that facilitate conversation rather than one-way instruction.

Flexibility: The preference for recorded content over live sessions indicates parents value being able to access resources on their own schedule.

Balance: Many parents expressed the challenge of finding the right balance between protection and independence, between monitoring and privacy, and between guidance and autonomy.

Thank you again to the all the parents who took the time to complete the survey. Stay tuned for upcoming resources designed to address these important parenting needs.

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Kaleigh Cornelison
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Navigating Safer Sexting