Research tells us that having multiple close and meaningful relationships is a key protective factor in keeping kids stay healthy and safe. It is what makes kids more successful in school, have better mental health outcomes, avoid risky activities, and feel happier. The resources on this page are intended to provide parents and caregivers with the insight they need to build a strong parent-child relationship, to foster that connection during the teen years, and to help them build healthy relationships with others. For instructions to view this website in Spanish, click on en Español.

Families Connected Parent Resources

Featured videos: helping youth build healthy relationships

Communication tips for parents to foster healthy relationships

• Click on the image to enlarge an infographic that offers tips to talk about it, provided in partnership with Beach Cities Health District.

Questions to help your teen identify a toxic relationship:

• Do they try to control you? (Examples, tell you what to wear, who to talk with, demand your passwords, or control how you spend your free time)

• Do they fail to respect your boundaries? (Examples, pressure you to do things you don’t want to do, push you when you say no, or threaten to leave the relationship when they don’t get their way)

• Do they put you down or make you feel small? (Examples, making jokes that are actually cruel, putting down your clothes, looks or interests, blaming you for their angry or mistakes, or comparing you to others to make you feel less than)

• Do they use anger or guilt to try to control you?

• Do they isolate you from friends and family?

Related Families Connected expert/parent blogs

• The Power of Relationships by Jennifer Elledge, MPH, CHES

• On Being a Mother and a Therapist by Leah Niehaus, LCSW

• Embrace the Pause by Dr. Nicole Wesley

Curated Gallery of Resources

Clicking on the logos, images, and links below will take you out of the Families Connected website and to the online resource indicated. Families Connected is not affiliated with these organizations, nor have these organizations paid to have their resources shared here. Please note that, unlike the Families Connected website, some of the websites/articles included here may include pop-up ads. Families Connected will remain open in your browser.

National articles

• How Relationships Feed Your Brain (Greater Good Magazine)

• How to Teach Your Teen to Recognize the Signs of a Toxic Relationship (Teen Dating Violence)

• How to Deepen Your Relationships With Children (Greater Good Magazine)

• How Understanding Middle School Friendships Can Help Students With Ups and Downs (KQED)

• Positive Parenting: Building Healthy Relationships With Your Kids (News in Health)

• 36 Questions That Can Help Kids Make Friends (Greater Good Magazine)

• Teaching Kids How to Deal With Conflict (Child Mind Institute)

Connect around the table

Research has confirmed what parents have known for a long time: sharing a family meal is good for the spirit, the brain, and the health of all family members. Recent studies link regular family dinners with many behaviors that parents hope for: lower rates of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and depression, as well as higher grade-point averages and self-esteem. Click on the logo to access conversation starters and dinner games, download a free guide, and participate in the Family Dinner Project.

Related Families Connected Topics

More resources for parents and guardians 

Resources for teens

For More Youth Wellness Resources, Visit: