What do you do when confronted with teen depression? Do you let your struggling teen stay in bed and let him off homework and other household chores? Here are some tips to help you to parent teen depression.

1. Some teens talk excessively about their problems. That is fine although one study has linked that sort of endless talking to teen depression because scientists say that sad thoughts only make it worse as they release the wrong chemicals in our brains. You have to find the right balance between being a good listener but at the same time helping them to move on.
2. Make sure your child is active. Depression is no excuse for not making his bed or other chores or homework for that matter. Encourage them to be active, stay with them and try to bond more.
3. Try talk therapy. It is not brain surgery. Ask why he is down to-day. Probe gently as to what is going on. Tell him to look at it from another angle. Why not let this thought go? Sympathise with the problem and then encourage problem solving. How are you going to cope with this? This always a good question to ask.
4. Don't let them avoid responsibilities. Just because they are down, they still have to get on with schoolwork. Staying in bed is another no-no.
5. Encourage optimism and physical activities. Being active is a great way to get endorphins (the happy chemicals) into the brain. Tell your struggling teen that people who do sports are much less likely to be depressed.

These are just some of the things you can learn from a child behavior program when you have to deal with teen depression. The struggling teen will demand a lot of care and attention but by learning a few simple techniques, you can help him or her to overcome teen depression.