Free guides for parents
Clear answers to the questions parents ask most, based on public health advice. Each guide lists its sources.
- Sleep
How much sleep does my child need?
Children aged 6–12 need about 9–12 hours of sleep and teenagers 8–10 hours per 24 hours. Sleep needs by age, signs of too little sleep and bedtime tips, with sources.
- Screens
How much screen time is OK for my child?
Leisure screen time by age: 0–2 none, 2–5 max 1 hour, 6–12 max 1–2 hours, 13–18 max 2–3 hours a day. When to give a first smartphone and family rules that work.
- Movement
How much should children move every day?
WHO recommends an average of at least 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity for children aged 5–17, plus muscle- and bone-strengthening activity 3 days a week.
- Food
What should my school-age child eat?
Regular meals, the plate model, about 400 g fruit and vegetables a day for ages 4–10 and 500 g from age 10, and water as the everyday drink. Practical tips for parents.
- Feelings
My child worries a lot. When is it anxiety?
It is common for children to feel worried. Signs of anxiety, how parents can help, and when to seek care, based on 1177, the Swedish national healthcare guide.
- Online safety
How do I keep my child safe online?
How to protect your child online: age limits, the first smartphone at 13, account safety and what to do if something happens. Based on Swedish public health advice.
- Health
When should I seek care for my child?
When to call 112, when to call 1177 for advice, and when a child with fever should see a doctor. Clear steps for parents, based on 1177.
- Screens
When should my child get a first smartphone?
Public health advice is to wait with a smartphone until the year your child turns 13. What to agree on first, and what research says about social media and teenagers.
- Gaming
How much gaming is OK, and when should I worry?
What PEGI age ratings mean, how gaming fits into daily screen time, and how WHO describes gaming disorder. Practical steps for parents, with sources.
- Friendships
What do I do if my child is being bullied?
Bullying is when someone is repeatedly treated badly by others, at school or online. Signs to look for, how to talk to your child and how to work with the school.
- Body
When does puberty start, and how do I talk to my child about it?
Puberty usually starts between 8 and 14 and takes 4–6 years. What changes, how to talk to your child about it, and when to contact a doctor, with sources.
- Drinks
Can my child drink energy drinks? Caffeine advice for children and teens
Under-16s should have no more than 70 mg of caffeine a day, which can be a third of a can of energy drink. What caffeine does, where it hides and how to talk about it, with sources.
- Health
How do I help my child look after their teeth?
Brush twice a day for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste, and help until about age 10–12. Toothpaste by age, food and drinks for healthy teeth, and what to do if a tooth is knocked out.
- Infections
Is my child too ill for school? When to stay home and when to go back
A child with a fever should stay home until they have been fever-free for a day without fever medicine. Stomach bugs, colds, chickenpox, head lice and handwashing, with sources.
- Injuries
My child hit their head. What should I do about concussion?
Most bumps to the head are not serious, but a child with a possible concussion should stop playing at once. Warning signs, rest and a step-by-step return to sport, with sources.
- Nicotine
Vapes and nicotine pouches: how do I talk to my child about nicotine?
Vapes and white snus (nicotine pouches) often contain a lot of nicotine, and children are especially sensitive to it. How common it is, the risks, the 18 age limit and how to talk about it calmly, with sources.
- Safety
Bike helmets and cycling safety: what does my child need to know?
In Sweden, children under 15 must wear a helmet on a bike and an e-scooter. How a helmet should fit, what the bike needs, where children may cycle and when to seek care after a fall, with sources.
- Health
Head lice: how do I check my child and get rid of them?
Head lice have nothing to do with hygiene and your child does not need to stay home. How to check with a lice comb, when and how to treat, and what you do not need to wash, with sources.
- Alcohol
Teenagers and alcohol: how do I talk to my child about drinking?
Most Swedish year 9 students did not drink alcohol in the past year. Why alcohol is riskier for teenagers, why giving them alcohol at home does not protect them, how to talk about it and what to do if someone is very drunk, with sources.
- Safety
Reflectors and the dark: how does my child stay visible on the way to school?
A driver on dipped headlights sees a pedestrian in dark clothes at only 20–30 metres, but a reflector at about 125 metres. Where reflectors work best, how to test them and how to walk safely in the dark, with sources.
- Health
Vitamin D in winter: does my child need a supplement?
Who needs extra vitamin D, how much, which foods contain it and the safe upper limits for children aged 6–18, based on Swedish Food Agency advice, with sources.
- Infections
Winter vomiting bug: how do I care for my child and stop it spreading?
The winter vomiting bug (norovirus) is most common from November to April. How to give fluids, spot dehydration, stop it spreading at home and know when your child can go back to school, with sources.
- Friendships
Friendships and feeling left out: how can I help my child?
About one in five girls and one in ten boys aged 11–15 in Sweden often or always feel lonely. How to talk about it, help your child take small steps, find new places to meet friends and know when to involve the school, with sources.
- Health
Bedwetting: how can I help my child, and when should we get help?
Bedwetting is one of the most common health problems in children aged 6–7, and it is nobody's fault. What helps at home, what to say to your child, how the bedwetting alarm and medicine work, and when to contact the health centre, with sources.
- Body
Body image: how can I help my child feel good about their body?
Fewer children feel their body is "about right" as they get older: among 15-year-olds in Sweden, about half do. How to talk about bodies at home, handle social media and beauty ideals, and spot signs that need help, with sources.