(Source:  Heart & Soul:  Your Guide to Living with Congenital Heart Disease, Heart & Stroke Foundation)

Planning for Your Child's Independence in Managing Their Congenital Heart Condition
From the beginning, based on their developmental level, educate your child regarding their heart condition, medications, and routine health care.  This will help to ensure they are confident adolescents, ready to manage their heart condition for the years to come.  As your child grows, you can support their direct involvement in their health care and treatment choices.

1. Start small and simple.
Discuss with your child their heart condition and the routine health maintenance that they will require throughout their life.
Have your teen make their doctor and dentist appointments.
Show them how to record their appointments on a day timer.

2. Help your teen find a family doctor.
Consider how well your child gets along with the doctor and the comfort level of the doctor in caring for your child.
Consider the location of the clinic and ease of transportation to the clinic.

3. Explore transportation options with your teen.
Your adolescent may need to get to appointments by themselves.  Practice using public transportation with them.

4. Discuss with them when they feel they would like to see the cardiologist alone for their examination or the entire appointment.
Be careful not to underestimate your child's abilities.
Make a plan together.  Talk about it together.  Voicing any concerns or fears that you as a parent, and they as an adolescent may have.  It may surprise you that they feel more ready to move on, then you feel to let them go.
You know your son or daughter well, his or her strengths and areas of challenge.  Use this knowledge to set realistic goals and assist them as they grow into independent young adults.

Feeling Connected
Even if you have a great family and many friends, you can still feel different and alone.  One way to help you feel less alone is to get 'connected' with others who have a similar health condition.  Ask members of your cardiac team if they are aware of any resources for peer support for youth with CHDs.  Some possible connections are listed below.

Peer Support Groups
Peer support groups or associations for youth with CHDs, allow you to:
- make new friends,
- connect with others who may share your concerns and questions,
- find information about your heart condition and how to control it.

Another Teen
Consider a one-to-one connection with another teen with a CHD.  Your cardiologist, clinic nurse, child life speciatlist, or social worker may be able to connect you with another teen who has had similar experiences and who shares similar interests.

Websites
There are websites just for teens with health concerns and CHDs.  Some websites include chat rooms or links to other teens with similar interests.

Summer Camps
Summer camps for teens with a CHD are a great chance to have fun with peers who share similar experiences.