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Your Well Visit (12 to Young Teen): Care Instructions

Your well visit is a regular checkup. It happens about once a year. Well visits aren't like other doctor visits you have when you're sick. This visit is a chance for your doctor to check on how you're growing and make sure you're staying healthy.

At your visit, a doctor or nurse might check things like your heart and lungs, weight, and height. They might also ask about school, food, activities, and healthy habits. And if you need vaccines, you might get them during the visit.

The doctor isn't the only one who gets to ask questions, though. This is a great time for you to ask any questions you might have about changes in your body or your emotions.

Tips for how to take care of yourself

  • Eating healthy foods

    • Choose healthy foods most of the time.
    • Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and drink water when you're thirsty.
    • Limit fast food, soda, and energy drinks.

  • Building healthy habits

    • Get enough sleep—about 8 hours a night.
    • Exercise on most days. Things like playing a sport, riding your bike, or taking a walk all count.
    • Limit screen time. Talk with your parents about how much seems right.
    • Make time each day to take care of homework.
    • Say "No, thanks" to smoking, vaping, alcohol, and drugs.

  • Staying safe

    • Think about safety if you're around guns. Guns should be locked up, unloaded, with ammunition locked up away from the guns.
    • Never share personal information or photos online.
    • Make a plan with your parents for what to do if you're at a friend's house and it feels uncomfortable or unsafe.
    • Remember that "no" means "no." Practice ahead of time ways to say "no" to things you don't want to do. And if someone tells you "no," listen to them.
    • Go to a trusted adult with questions about sex. Not having sex is the best way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. If you have sex, use condoms and birth control.

  • Friends and feelings

    • Be a good friend, and choose friends who are kind to you.
    • Be kind to yourself. Your brain and your body are changing in all kinds of ways. But you're not alone.
    • If you're feeling sad, anxious, or very "down," talk to a trusted adult.
    • If you are feeling so down that you're thinking about hurting yourself or about suicide, get help. You can call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

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