Pre-Teen, Teen and Parent Classes

The Pre-Teen, Teen, and Parent classes at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford are designed to help families learn about important topics during adolescence and prepare to address changes during adolescent years from early puberty to right before college send-offs. We offer a broad spectrum of classes taught by our skilled instructors, such as:

Ongoing Classes

• The Chat
• Heart to Heart: A Seminar on Growing Up for Parents and Kids

Semiannual Classes*

• Staying Close While Standing Back
• What our Boys Need
• What our Girls Need
• Smart Sendoffs

*These seminars are offered periodically throughout the year. If you want to be notified when these seminars are available for registration, please subscribe below.

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For more information about our programs and online registration, contact us:
Email: LPCHCommunityClass@stanfordchildrens.org
Phone: (650) 724-4601

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The Chat

The Chat is a series of 5 online workshops for a preteen 10-12 years old and a grown-up to attend together. These workshops reflect the content of the Heart to Heart curriculum in a different format, Zoom. Our classes discuss puberty, the opposite sex, and growing up in an informative, humorous, and lively manner. Our goal is to create opportunities for families to engage with each other and grow in the experience of talking about these topics.

For an experience most similar to our in-person Heart to Heart class, we recommend taking all five classes in this order:

1. BO, Pimples, and Hair
2. Girl Bodies and Beyond
3. Boy Bodies and Beyond
4. Being Together: Feelings, Friendships, Families
5. Being Connected: Sex, Love, and Everything in Between

Please review the The Chat FAQ’s >

Register for The Chat >

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Heart to Heart: A Seminar on Growing Up for Parents and Kids

At this time, our Heart to Heart classes have been cancelled. We will not be posting future dates until we are certain we can resume regular programming and meet in large groups. Alternatively, we are currently offering a new online class called The Chat. You can find more information here >

This informative, humorous, and lively discussion of puberty, the opposite sex and growing up sets parents and their pre-teens (aged 10-12) on a the course for talking with one another about these topics. Emphasis in the “For Girls” and “For Boys” programs are on communication and the importance of family as the primary resource. Join us for a two-part class developed by Julie Metzger, RN of “Great Conversations” in the Seattle, WA area.

Topics

• Physical changes and growth
• Common concerns pre-teens may have during puberty
• Feelings, actions and consequences
• Sexuality and sexual reproduction

Locations
Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Francisco, Belmont, Campbell, Morgan Hill, San Leandro, Emeryville, Santa Cruz, and Walnut Creek.

For additional information about the “Heart to Heart” and “The Chat” program, including a mission statement and goals, please visit www.greatconversations.com.

• Our Parent Tip Sheet and Book List are available for class preparation.

For Scheduling FAQ’s on cancellations, reschedules, and waitlists, click here >

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Staying Close While Standing Back - The Art and Science of Parenting Adolescents

For ALL grownups - parents, grandparents, caregivers, coaches, and teachers - who love, support, and care about preteens/teens, looking for new ideas for everyday conversations.

Conversations are the building blocks within a family to share ideas, sharpen our edges, build trust, problem-solve, gather information, argue our point, and share our stories. Family conversations can be intense and heated or spoken in whispers - they can last seconds or days - and end with a slammed door, a sigh, or a hug. Each one shapes part of who we are as a family and as individuals. During this parent talk, Julie Metzger will give parents an opportunity to consider strategies to strengthen family communication with adolescents.

Register for Staying Close While Standing Back >

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What Our BOYS Need–courage, community, compassion, and competence

This parent talk was previously titled Mothers of Sons.

Facilitated by Julie Metzger, founder of Great Conversations, and her son, Peter Metzger MD, a pediatrician, this parent talk is for parents and grownups who love, support, coach, teach and care about boys. Grownups are given this unique opportunity to explore their relationship with boys while answering some of the questions around boys' physical, emotional, and social development. Julie and Peter will draw from current research and their clinical experience working with families.

Register for What our Boys Need >

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What Our GIRLS Need–courage, community, compassion, and competence

This parent talk was previously titled Dads of Daughters.

Facilitated by Julie Metzger, founder of Great Conversations, this parent talk is for parents and grownups who love, support, coach, teach and care about girls. Grownups are given this unique opportunity to explore their relationship with girls while answering some of the questions around girls' physical, emotional, and social development. Julie will draw from current research and her 35+ years of working with families.

Register for What our Girls Need >

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Smart Sendoffs: Off-to-College Health Guidance for Students and Their Parents

Trained adolescent health experts will lead college-bound high school seniors and their parents together in interactive learning and discussion, covering important health issues that may arise during the college years. Emphasis is on encouraging communication between parents and teens and preparing for a healthy and manageable transition to life on a college campus.

The program will cover the following topics:

• Stress and stress management
• Mental health, including depression and eating disorders
• Understanding harmful substances and strategies to stay safe
• Healthy relationships and sexual health

Register for Smart Sendoffs >