Are you finding parenting a teen particularly challenging? While the teen years have a reputation for causing parents anxiety, they can also be a rewarding time to watch your teen turn into a responsible adult.

The teens years provide many opportunities for you to teach your teenager values and lessons to help shape the adult he or she will become. The U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, offers these suggestions on how encourage healthy and safe habits for teens 15 to 17:

1. Teach healthy habits. Teach your teenager how to maintain a high level of overall health through good nutrition, physical fitness, and healthy behaviors. Make sure your teen gets 8 hours of sleep a night. A good night’s sleep ensures the best performance in academics and sports. Assist your teenager in developing time-management skills by helping them allot time for school, exercise, and fun time with friends and family. Encourage your teenager to participate in social activities, community groups, and/or sports and share in household chores. Work with your adolescent to continue building decision-making skills and to understand the consequences of their behavior.
   
   
2. Promote safe driving habits. Make sure your teenager always uses a seat and ensures that all other passengers wear their seatbelts when he or she is driving. Encourage responsible driving by following speed limits and avoiding distractions while driving such as talking on a cell phone, focusing on the radio, or even looking at fellow passengers. Ask your teen to never drink and drive, and encourage him or her to call home or a sober friend if they need a ride home after consuming alcohol. Remind them that driving irresponsibly could result in harming themselves or someone else.
   
   
3. Teach the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. A healthy diet and adequate exercise maximizes the likelihood of teens growing up healthy and strong. Provide three nutritious meals a day, with fruits and vegetables, supplemented with healthy snacks. Avoid foods and drinks that are high in sugar, fat or caffeine. Choose fruits, vegetables; bread, cereal, other grains; lean meats, chicken, fish; and low-fat dairy products. Teenagers also need 30 to 60 minutes of physical activities three or more times a week.
   
   
4. Take your child to the doctor and dentist. Preventing disease is easier—and less painful!—than curing it, so make sure your teenager gets regular check-ups.
   
   
5. Promotion of school success/ school achievement. Help your teen to become responsible for attendance, homework and course selection. Be sure to have conversations with your child about school and show your interest in his or her school activities.
   
   
6. Prevent violence. Prevent bullying by encouraging peaceful resolutions to conflict and building positive relationships. Teach teens to respect others, and encourage tolerance. Limit your adolescent’s exposure to violence in the media, the community, and at home. Teach your teens that there is no place for verbal or physical violence by setting an example with your words and actions and by showing them respect as well.
   
   
7. Teach your teen to say no to smoking.
   
   
8. Know the 4 “W’s”—who, what, when, where. Always know who your teen is hanging out with, what they will be doing, when and for how long they will be out, and where they will be. And check up on them. Be aware of the dangers that can arise at teenage parties. Teen parties present an opportunity to your teen to experiment with alcohol or tobacco. Make sure your teen knows that you expect them to act responsibly.
   
   
9. Be aware of your teen’s mental health. Help teens increase their self-esteem. Taking on new challenges will help build confidence and demonstrate their strengths. Watch your child for signs of depression and stress. If your child appears sad, withdrawn, or suddenly dislikes going to school or hanging out with friends, he or she may be suffering from depression. Teens who participate in risky behaviors-- including sex, alcohol, and drugs--are at a higher risk of depression. Make sure you talk to your teen about their feelings, or ask them to talk with a health professional, school counselor, or trusted adult.
   
   
10. Talk about sex. Teens who feel connected to their parents are more likely to have their first sexual experience later than teens who are not so well connected to their parents. Teach your teenager that only abstinence is 100 percent effective against pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. If you think your child is sexually active or thinking about having sex, discuss how to practice safe sex through condoms and other forms of contraception. Remind them that condoms are the only method of birth control that can reduce the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
    
    
11. Encourage injury prevention. Your teenager should wear a helmet and protective gear when bicycling, riding a motorcycle, playing contact sports, using in-line skates, or riding a skateboard. Use of safety equipment can reduce injuries and even save your teenager’s life. Because 80 percent of lifetime sun exposure occurs in childhood, it’s important for parents to help their children practice sun safety. Teach your child about sun safety, including staying inside during midday when the sun is the hottest; wearing a hat and sunglasses when outside; and applying sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher frequently. Tanning beds should be avoided.
    
    
12. Talk to your children about the dangers of illicit drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol are more available to teens than you may be aware. It can be difficult for your child to "just say no" to drugs and alcohol. Young people who don't know the facts about tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs are at greater risk of trying them. Your child may be interested in using drugs as a way to fit in or as a way to deal with the pressures of adolescence. Build your child's self-esteem with praise and support for decisions. A strong sense of self-worth will help your child to say no to drugs and alcohol--and mean it.

Source: “U.S. Surgeon General Gives Tips to Parents on Teenagers,” Press Release, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.surgeongeneral.org.