Parents are seeking advice from professionals more than ever as pressures mount on high schoolers and younger youth.

Bullying and more were on the increase even before the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to more mental health issues.

Bainbridge Youth Services deals with these issues every day. BYS service manager Shannon Ameland recently sat down with her therapists and asked them for parenting advice for different stages of child development.

The primary issue experienced by BYS clients ages 13-21 is anxiety, followed by social or relational problems.

Get support for yourself: Look inward and assess what you need so you can care for others.

3-layer cake: Understand yourself, create connections with child and set expectations.

Model healthy behavior: Check your emotions when dealing with your child to set a good example. If they escalate, repair them, apologize and say you will work to do better.

Actively listen: Listen to understand rather than to respond. For younger children listen for feelings rather than facts and validate them.

Engage with your child: Ask open-ended questions and give them space to respond. For younger children, their view of you is changing and that’s healthy—you will no longer be superhuman to them.

Remember to love: Remind yourself of your child’s goodness.

Focus on being a connected parent and less on being a “good” parent.