SAFETY
Texting and Driving: Take the Oath
We all know the dangers of texting and driving. It is against the law, as is talking on the cell phone without a hands free device. Visit the linked website to take an oath to put your cell phone away while driving. The txtresponsibly.org site also has educational info, statistics, and true stories.

Wear a Helmet:
Just because you are over 14, don't stop wearing your helmet! Preventing concussion is always a good idea. The brain does not recover from injury quickly and easily. Be smart and wear your helmet while riding a bike, skateboarding, dirt bike or atv. Check out these good reasons to wear a bike helmet.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Cell phones, ipods, Instagram, facebook, Skype, Snapchat... The list goes on and on. Teens and parents can find useful information about movies, apps, and websites at Commonsensemedia.com. The Healthychildren.org website from the American Academy of Pediatrics also has valuable tools to help families manage the impact of these toys and tools.

IMMUNIZATIONS
There are still a few shots during the teen years. A tetanus booster is given at age 10 or 11. A meningitis vaccine (meningococcal) is given at 11 or 12. If you have not gotten you Hepatitis A vaccines yet, we will start those. (This is a series of two vaccines to protect you from the form of hepatitis you can get from contaminated food and water.). We also begin the HPV vaccine during the early teen years. This series of three vaccines protects against several strains of the human papillomavirus which can lead to some forms of cancer and warts. Your provider will discuss these with you at the visit. Please visit the vaccines page for more information.

MENTAL HEALTH
Teenagers deal with many challenges that can lead to psychological distress. Some may develop depression, anxiety, eating disorders or other mental health issues. The feelings of sadness, worry or poor self esteem are common during these years. If you feel that you are sad more than others, or always anxious, and if feelings are interfering with school, family and other aspects of your life, check out the website below. There are also links to two rating scales that can help us sort this out for you. We are happy to see you to discuss your concerns, and help you find a mental health provider to best handle this aspect of your health care.

• TeenMentalHeatlh.org
• Eating Disorder Questionnaire (EAT-26)
• Depression Questionnaire
• SCARED (screen for anxiety related disorders) Child