Parents

Issues affecting girls

Can You Build Self-Confidence In Someone Else?

Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's largest organization dedicated to helping all girls everywhere build character and gain skills for success in the real world. Part of our role is to support you, the parent. We hope the information below is helpful. Please give us suggestions on topics you would like Girl Scouts to address in this section of our Web site.

Mental well-being

• Celebrating Your Child's Successes
• Mean teens online: Forget sticks and stones, they've got mail
• Paths to Positive Youth Development
• Sowing the Seeds of Character
• Read the latest news and see the Q&A with Dr. M & Liz concerning startling reports showing that girls' suicide rates are increasing. Teen suicide has long been an issue at the forefront of concerns for the Girl Scouts. We encourage volunteers and parents to heed early warning signs of girls who may be depressed.
• Your Daughter's Body Image: How Does She See Herself?

  (Overcoming the Barbie syndrome)

Parenting

• Are Your Kids Old Enough to Be Home Alone?
• Conversations: Making Time for Your Kids
• Going Mobile: Living in a Cellular World
• Is Your Daughter Deadline Challenged?
• Risk-taking for Tweens: It's Not Always What You Think
• Who Rules—You or the Kids? Rate Your Parenting Style

Physical health and well-being

• Active Teens Less Likely to Get in Trouble, Andrew Weil, M.D.
• Big tobacco's anti-smoking efforts go up in smoke, Brandweek.com
• Boost your daughter's brain power, Allison Aubrey
• Efforts to help obese children floundering, Associated Press
• Five weight-loss tips for children, Andrew Weil, M.D.
• Georgia: Where do we fit as an overweight state?
• Girls and Overweight: Key facts, Girl Scouts of the USA
• Healthy Living Starts at Home
• Latina Girls and Overweight: Key facts, Girl Scouts of the USA
• More Children and Men are Getting Fat, Mike Strobe, Associated Press
• The New Normal? What Girls Say About Healthy Living
• School, Study, SATs: No Wonder Teens Are Stressed
• Sleep deprivation
• Staying Safe for Girls
• Stop cyber bullying
• Teasing: Hurtful or Playful?
• Teen Girls Need more Calcium, Staff, Girl Scout Council of Northwest Georgia
• Weighing In Helping Girls be Healthy Today, Healthy Tomorrow, Girl Scouts of the USA

Be aware! The use of methamphetamines is hitting the southeastern U.S. with  force.

Risky behavior

• Methamphetamine (meth)
• Smoking
  • Are you ready to quit smoking? 
  • Check out a smoker's life span.
  • How much is smoking costing you?  
  • How does smoking increase your risk of heart attack?
• Teen girl drug-alcohol abuse

Teen driving

Read Choose a Safe Car for Your Teenage Daughter.

Teens in the workplace

Read Does a part-time job actually benefit your teen?