Parenting and caregiving

University of Minnesota Extension works across the lifespan. We foster resilient, healthy and secure futures for families and seniors. Extension works with Minnesotans to make informed decisions leading to better health and wellbeing.

Features

Talking with your teen about social media

By staying informed, parents can learn how to monitor their teens' social media use and help them navigate these platforms with care.

Family-focused webinars

Extension's family-focused webinars support greater health, resilience and wellbeing for all.

The Parents Forever program

An educational program for parents experiencing a family transition such as divorce, separation, or change in custody.

Co-parenting resources

For parents experiencing divorce and other family transitions

Court-mandated parent education

Extension's Parents Forever online course is an online educational program for families experiencing divorce, separation, or a change in custody.

Coping with abandonment

Here are some tips for talking to your children about abandonment.

Children moving between two households

Follow these easy steps to help your children's transition between two households go more smoothly.

Grandparents and relatives raising children

Review some of the challenges and rewards when grandparents or relatives raise children.

How age affects children's adjustment to stepfamilies

Understand how your children’s age affects their reaction to a new stepfamily. And help them adjust.

New families and traditions

Learn how to use communication, negotiation, and compromise to help navigate exploring and establishing traditions in new families.

Reducing stress during the holidays for families with two homes

Explore some things divorced parents can keep in mind to help ease the difficulty of holidays.

Guidelines for blended families

Learn about the unique challenges you’ll encounter as a stepparent.

Should we reconcile?

This resource reviews things to consider before making the big decision.

Divorce and other family transitions

Find resources and information about the impact of family transitions including divorce or separation.

Working with families

Resources for professionals

Working with families experiencing incarceration

Resources for professionals who work with families and youth in the carceral system.

Trauma and healing

Learn about trauma-informed care for youth work, historical trauma and cultural healing, and secondary trauma and workplace wellness.

Children's mental health resources

Read about topics relevant to the needs of children and families, as well as research-driven articles from University and community professionals.

Parenting in the Age of Overindulgence take-and-teach modules

Professionals can access five free take-and-teach modules that coincide with this course to use with parents and caregivers.

Parent-school partnerships

Meaningful dialogue between parents and teachers creates mutual understanding and enhances both parents’ and children’s experiences with school.

Discipline and setting limits

How to counter overindulgence in parenting

Learn practical tools for parents and caregivers to praise and set limits for children.

The Test of Four

The Test of Four helps parents and children learn about what is enough. It guides adults and children toward personal responsibility and self-control. It also encourages clear thinking and good decision-making.

Positive discipline: Parenting videos

Tips on how to teach discipline and responsibility, create safe spaces for exploration, and model tricky situations.

Disciplina Positiva: Vídeos para padres

Consejos sobre cómo enseñar disciplina y responsabilidad, crear espacios seguros para la exploración y modelar situaciones difíciles.

Talking with teens

Understanding teen development

Learn about the biological and physical changes, social and emotional changes, teen brain development of teens and more.

Alcohol, tobacco and drugs

Advice on teen parties, talking with your teen about substance use including alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and dealing with the "everybody's doing it" attitude.

Bullying, violence and suicide

Information on bullying, school violence, and more.

Changing relationships

Learn about how to talk with young people about some of the challenging moments in their adolescent years.

Talking with your teen about social media

By staying informed, parents can learn how to monitor their teens' social media use and help them navigate these platforms with care.

School transitions

Resources to help you help your teen through a school transition.

Later-life decision making

Healthy aging

Extension workshops and resources celebrate the positive aspects of aging and explore ways to enhance the wellbeing of older individuals.

How to support aging parents and address potential conflicts

Follow these strategies and tips to help your family cope when faced with problems and decisions related to long term care.

Minnesota Health Care Directive Planning Toolkit

Write down your wishes for your care in a health care directive.

Preventing elder family financial exploitation

Learn prevention strategies to avoid elder family financial exploitation (EFFE) which is one of the most prevalent types of elder abuse.