Explore why you should teach your child to identify and name feelings, its importance, and find examples of how you can teach this skill, while growing your own ability as well.

The teenage years are particularly vulnerable to negative impacts on the brain such as marijuana use. It is during the teen years that dramatic growth and change occur in the brain, and marijuana use in this time can result in negative changes to brain development and function. This podcast talks about the consequences of marijuana use, the impact of marijuana on the developing teenage brain, and parents’ role in delaying the use of marijuana.

A simplified explanation of the brain science of a developing teenage brain is featured in this podcast and in a few other tools on the ParentingMontana.org website. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University, who bring you this podcast, felt parents and those in a parenting role should be equipped with the information to have an open discussion with their children about why marijuana can be harmful to the developing brain as well as the other risks. 

Parents are the most important influence in their child’s life, therefore parents play a major role in their teen’s decision to use marijuana. Parents, you can greatly reduce repercussions of marijuana on your teen’s brain development if you can discourage use. This podcast equips you with information to have essential conversations with your child. You can help prevent the immediate and long term risks associated with teenage marijuana use and its harm to the brain.

Laws about the use of marijuana can be confusing, change over time, differ by type of use -- such as medical or adult-use, and vary by state. While many states allow for medical use of marijuana and an increasing number of states also have legalized marijuana for adult use, marijuana use remains illegal at the federal level, and adult-use marijuana is illegal for individuals who are under the age of 21. Parents, or those in a parenting role, and teens are often unclear about the laws and have misconceptions about the consequences of breaking the laws.

As a parent or someone in a parenting role, you make a lot of decisions about what is acceptable or not acceptable for your child/teen regarding marijuana use. Knowing the laws and ordinances in your community and state can help you make informed decisions about what is best for your child/teen. But, even if something is legal, it may not be safe for your child/teen. As a parent, you are key to helping your child prevent harm associated with marijuana and other substances.

This podcast, as part of ParentingMontana.org, explores the marijuana laws specific to Montana and discusses scenarios that you, as a parent or someone in a parenting role, might encounter. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services partnered with the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University to create tools and resources for the parents in Montana. Most of the content on ParentingMontana.org is relevant to parents everywhere, but this podcast is specific to marijuana laws in Montana. So, if you are a parent in Montana, listen now to learn about the current laws around marijuana use for youth and adults.

Children, adolescents, and young adults are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of marijuana due to their developing brains. Marijuana can impact a teen’s present life by increasing their risk for dropping out of high school, and it can affect their future because of the impact marijuana has on a developing brain that can be significant and long lasting. Preventing your teen from using marijuana, whether that means preventing them from ever using or delaying their start until at least the age of 21, greatly minimizes the negative and long-term impact of marijuana on the brain.

This podcast has information to equip you, as a parent or someone in a parenting role, to have conversations about marijuana and the importance of not using it during the teenage years. It explores reasons to be concerned about marijuana use, consequences of marijuana use, and specific strategies you can implement to encourage your child not to use marijuana. This is brought to you as part of ParentingMontana.org from The Montana Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University.

The teen brain goes through a significant development and maturation process until the mid twenties. During this vulnerable time for the developing brain, marijuana use can significantly impact the structure and function of the developing brain, and some of the impacts can be long lasting. By avoiding marijuana, youth can greatly reduce these negative impacts. Listen now to learn how you as a parent or someone in a parenting role are key to helping your child prevent harm associated with marijuana.

If you are worried that your child/teen may be using marijuana or other drugs, don’t panic. You are not alone. Whether you are concerned about the misuse of prescription pain medication, marijuana use, or other drug use, there are many resources and help available. This podcast explores the signs and symptoms of substance use, ways to talk with your child/teen about concerns, and options you have for getting your child/teen help. The earlier you intervene, the easier it is to get your child/teen back on track!

There are warning signs and symptoms if your child/teen is using marijuana or other drugs. This podcast walks through the physical, behavioral, and psychological signs that may indicate your child is using drugs. You will be able to identify some of the signs and have some guidance to walk you through the conversations you could have and the steps you could take to help your child.

This supportive information is brought to you as part of the parenting website, ParentingMontana.org, from The Montana Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University. While ParentingMontana.org is a wealth of tools and resources created for Montana parents, the content is applicable to parents everywhere. Listen now if you are concerned that your child/teen might be using drugs, and see how you can work with your child/teen to uncover core issues and appropriate ways to address them.

Children may have experiences that disrupt their sense of safety and security. These negative experiences in childhood are sometimes referred to as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or child trauma. Research suggests more than two-thirds of children report experiencing at least one traumatic event by age 16. Examples of these experiences can include events that happen once, like the loss of a loved one, parental separation or divorce, or a serious traffic accident. They can also include traumatic experiences that occur repeatedly like physical or emotional abuse, neglect, being bullied, witnessing violence at home or at school, or living with someone who has a mental health or substance use problem. Traumatic experiences can overwhelm a child’s ability to cope with what they have experienced, which can lead to child traumatic stress and long-lasting effects that negatively impact health, wellbeing, and opportunities in life.

Fortunately, children who have experienced traumatic events can recover and flourish. Creating safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for children can buffer against the effects of negative experiences and help children thrive. As a parent or someone in a parenting role, your support and guidance matter greatly and you can find  help on ParentingMontana.org. Learning about child trauma and how it can affect your child will help you support your child. It will help your child feel safe and manage their strong and sometimes overwhelming feelings and behaviors while building a healthy parent-child relationship. 

This podcast provides an overview of how a child’s brain responds to stress, the impact of child trauma on health and wellbeing, and reactions to trauma at various stages of child development. This podcast also provides guidance for the actions you can take to support your child after they have experienced a traumatic event and what you can do to help your child manage challenging behaviors. Finally, as a parent or someone in a parenting role, your child’s trauma affects you as well. While caring for and supporting your child through their difficult moments, it is vital to take care of yourself. Guidance on specific actions to care for yourself with compassion are provided. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services partnered with the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University to promote healthy mental, emotional, and behavioral development through the tools on ParentingMontana.org like the one available to you in this podcast.

All infants cry. Crying is an infant’s primary form of communicating with you. Through crying, infants are learning how to get their needs met. Each time you are responsive to your infant’s cries and needs, showing them love and care, they feel understood and learn about the two-way nature of communication. It is natural for a parent or someone in a parenting role to think that something is wrong when an infant cries. Sometimes, despite your best efforts to respond to your infant’s needs, their crying may continue. 

Managing your feelings in healthy ways when your infant cries is essential. Finding healthy ways to calm yourself models how to manage big feelings for your infant. Your infant can sense when you are upset and when you are calm. Your infant is learning about their world through their relationship with you. When you manage your feelings in healthy ways you are building trust between you and your infant. You are also providing foundational experiences that allow your infant to learn to predict how you will respond, and this has a calming effect on your infant’s brain.

This podcast, from the creators of ParentingMontana.org, talks about ways a new parent can soothe their infant when they are crying as well as ways to recognize and manage their own exhaustion, frustration, and overwhelming feelings when their infant is crying. Montana Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University are striving to equip parents with the tools and skills necessary to parent infants to teens with the mental, emotional, and behavioral development for success.  Listen here for tips on how to soothe your crying infant and manage your own emotions as you respond to their needs.

Have you been thinking about becoming a foster parent? With over 437,000 U.S. children and youth in foster care right now, there is definitely a need for foster parents. But, how do you know if foster parenting is right for you? Deciding to become a foster parent is a big decision that takes thoughtful consideration. This podcast provides reflective questions to help you decide if becoming a foster parent is right for you and whether now is the right time.

From examining your personal reasons for wanting to become a foster parent to all of the emotional, environmental, organizational, financial, social, familial, and legal considerations, deciding to become a foster parent is a decision that requires a lot of thoughtful reflection. ParentingMontana.org has resources tailored to foster parents, and this initial consideration is just the first step.

This podcast is brought to you by a partnership between Montana Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University. Their goal is to promote healthy mental, emotional, and behavioral development of children through the tools on ParentingMontana.org, and supporting parents of children in the foster care system is one very important way. The decision to become a family who fosters a child is a big life-changing choice; listen now and ask yourself some crucial questions as you consider becoming a foster parent.