Questions to Ask at a 14 Year Old Check Up
This list is for a parent taking a 13, 14 or 15 year old to the yearly well visit, and for the teen, who is old enough to ask some of it alone. It follows the appointment: how the visit and the time alone with the doctor work, growth and puberty, sleep, food and sports, vaccines and tests, mood, screens and risks, and a last group written for the teen to ask.
The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
How the visit works
What does a check-up cover at 14, and what is new now that my child is a teenager?
Why ask it
The usual additions are a puberty check, a mood questionnaire, a few minutes with the doctor without a parent and, for athletes, the sports form, but offices differ, so get this one's list. Phone the desk a few days ahead if you can. A teen who knows what is coming walks in less guarded.
Which parts of today's visit happen with me in the room, and which with my teen alone?
Why ask it
Plenty of offices begin seeing teens on their own for a few minutes around this age, and hearing the plan at the start keeps it from feeling like you are being sent out. Raise it in front of your teen so you both hear the same answer.
What stays between you and my teen, and what would you always tell a parent?
Why ask it
How private a minor's visit is depends on the state or country, and sometimes on the subject, so ask how it works in this office. Most doctors can put the line in a sentence or two, and safety is usually where it sits. Teens tend to say more once they have heard that line spoken with a parent listening.
Does this visit count as the sports physical, and can the school form be signed today?
Why ask it
Schools and leagues often accept only a physical dated inside a certain window, so check their dates before you book. Arrive with the parent section of the form filled in. If the form turns up after the visit, the front desk can say whether signing it later carries a fee.
What questionnaires will my teen fill in today, and who reads the answers?
Why ask it
Many practices hand teens a short screening form about mood, and sometimes about substance use, to complete privately. Knowing that ahead of time lets you tell your teen it is routine and given to everyone their age. The second half of the question matters: some offices share results with parents and some only step in when an answer needs action.
Can my teen answer your questions first, with me filling in afterwards?
Why ask it
Said out loud at the start, this hands the appointment to the teen on purpose. A parent who answers 'how is school' for a fourteen-year-old teaches them to sit back, so hold your additions until the end. If your teen freezes, the doctor will turn to you soon enough.
If my teen wants a chaperone, or wants me to step out for the physical exam, how do we arrange that?
Why ask it
Chaperone policies and who has to be present differ from one office to the next. Settle it before the gown comes out, and let your teen be the one who chooses whether you stay. Your teen can also ask what each part of the exam is for before it happens.
Who can see the patient portal, the test results and the visit notes now that my child is a teenager?
Why ask it
Portal access often changes at a set birthday, and which birthday varies by health system and local law. The details to pin down are whether your login will be cut back, whether your teen gets one of their own, and where results and bills will be sent. Better to learn it today than when a message you were expecting never arrives.
Growth and puberty
How have height and weight tracked since last year, and can we look at the chart together?
Why ask it
One measurement means little at an age when classmates can be a head apart. The doctor reads the line across several years, so the thing to hear is whether your teen has kept to their own curve. If weight is a sore subject, tell the nurse beforehand and ask that the numbers not be read out.
Where is my teen in puberty, and does the timing look typical to you?
Why ask it
Doctors describe puberty in stages and can say roughly where a teen sits without making a show of it. Early or late compared with friends is the usual worry, so pin down whether the doctor wants to investigate or simply look again next year. Offer to step out for the answer, since some teens would rather hear it without a parent in the room.
How much growing is probably left?
Why ask it
The shortest player on the team wants this answered more than anything else on the list. A doctor can sketch a rough picture from the growth chart, the stage of puberty and the parents' heights, and should call it an estimate. A good follow-up is what would make them order a hand X-ray or a referral.
Are irregular or painful periods normal in the first couple of years, and what should we call about?
Why ask it
Dates from a calendar or an app make this a much shorter conversation. You are after the specifics that should prompt a call: how heavy, how far apart, how much pain, how many school days lost. If periods have not started, the question becomes at what age the doctor would want to look into it.
What works for acne, and when is it worth a prescription?
Why ask it
Say what has been tried and for how long, since most treatments need weeks before anyone can judge them. Leave with a simple routine and a date to come back if it has not helped. If skin is changing how your teen feels about going to school, mention it, because a doctor weighs that along with how the skin looks.
Did you check the spine today, and is there anything about the back or posture to watch?
Why ask it
A look for a sideways curve is often part of the exam during the growth spurt, though practice varies. If something shows, the follow-ups are how large it seems, whether an X-ray is needed and when it gets rechecked. Back pain and a heavy school bag belong in this conversation too.
Are these aches in the knees or heels growing pains, or something from sports?
Why ask it
Have your teen point to the exact spot and say when it hurts: during play, afterwards, or at night. The reply should sort it into carry on with care or needs a closer look. Get a clear statement on whether playing can continue and what would mean stop.
Sleep, food and sports
School starts early and my teen is short on sleep. How many hours should we be aiming for?
Why ask it
Give the real numbers from home: lights out, when sleep actually comes, the alarm, and weekends. A doctor can work from those and explain why a teenager's body clock drifts later. Aim to leave with one change to try this month.
My teen cannot fall asleep until late. Is that the body clock or the phone?
Why ask it
Usually some of each, and a doctor can help work out which is doing more. Describe the last hour before bed. If your teen lies awake with thoughts racing, say exactly that, because it points toward worry and away from the screen.
Is my teen eating enough for how fast they are growing and how much they train?
Why ask it
Walk through an ordinary day of food, skipped breakfasts and the real school lunch included. Iron, calcium and vitamin D are worth asking about by name, along with whether a blood test makes sense. Heavy periods, or a diet that leaves out meat or dairy, make the question more pressing.
I have noticed skipped meals and new comments about their body. What should I be watching for?
Why ask it
Specifics help more than a general worry: meals missed, foods dropped, new rules about eating, exercise that cannot be skipped. The doctor can set that beside the growth chart, which sometimes shows a change before anyone at home sees one. Consider raising it by message before the visit or with your teen out of the room, then ask how to bring it up at home without turning dinner into a contest.
Are energy drinks, protein powder or pre-workout supplements fine at this age?
Why ask it
A photo of the label settles more than a description, since the answer turns on what is in the tub or the can. Teens pick these up from teammates and videos, so let yours hear the doctor's reasoning firsthand. It tends to land better than a parent's no.
Is my teen cleared for their sport, and what family history do you need to know first?
Why ask it
Before clearing a teen, many doctors ask about fainting or chest pain during exercise and about relatives who had heart trouble or died suddenly when young. Check with the grandparents before the visit, because that history is the hardest part of the form to fill in from a waiting room chair.
How should a hit to the head be handled, and who decides when my teen plays again?
Why ask it
Return-to-play rules after a suspected concussion are set by schools, leagues and in some places by law, so find out how it works locally. Get two lists: the signs that end the game for the day, and the signs that mean emergency care. Tell the doctor about any earlier head injury, even one that seemed minor.
Is it safe to start lifting weights, and how should a 14-year-old begin?
Why ask it
Expect an answer about supervision and technique before load. The doctor can also say whether anything in your teen's growth or joints changes the plan. Ask who they would trust to teach it: a school coach, a trainer or a physical therapist.
My teen plays one sport all year. How much is too much?
Why ask it
Rest days, a break each year and the overuse injuries the doctor sees in that particular sport are the three things to cover. Bring up tiredness that does not lift, slipping grades or dread before practice. Those point to more than sore muscles.
Vaccines and tests
Which vaccines are due at this age, and is my teen caught up on the earlier ones?
Why ask it
Schedules are set country by country, and a school may require proof of particular ones. Have the office print the record and mark three things: due now, due in the next few years, and wanted by the school.
Is the HPV vaccine series finished, and if not, how many doses are left?
Why ask it
The number of doses can depend on the age at which the series began, and where it is given at school the office may need to see your record. If you have hesitations, voice them here and hear the doctor's reasons, with your teen part of the conversation.
Is it the right time of year for a flu shot, and can it be given at this visit?
Why ask it
What is offered changes with the season and the country. Asthma or another ongoing condition can alter the advice, so name it. If the timing is wrong today, ask whether a nurse visit or a pharmacy can do it later without a full appointment.
My teen dreads needles and has felt faint after a shot. How do you handle that here?
Why ask it
Offices that see teenagers plan for fainting, often by having them sit or lie down and wait a while before leaving. Tell the nurse before the needle appears, not after. Let your teen say what helps: looking away, headphones, or getting it done first.
Are any blood tests recommended at this age, such as cholesterol or iron?
Why ask it
Whether a teen gets routine blood work depends on local guidance and on family history, so say if close relatives had high cholesterol, early heart disease or diabetes. Two practical points: whether the test needs fasting, and whether your plan counts it as part of the well visit or bills it separately.
How was the blood pressure reading, and does it need checking again?
Why ask it
A nervous teen who has just walked in from the parking lot can read high. If the number was up, ask for a repeat at the end of the appointment. Then ask what happens if it is still up on another day.
Should vision and hearing be tested today, or when were they last done?
Why ask it
Teens rarely announce that the board has gone blurry. They move seats or come home with headaches. Some offices screen at this visit and others send you to an eye doctor, so ask which, and mention squinting, headaches after school or headphones worn loud.
Mood, screens and risks
What is ordinary moodiness at 14, and what would make you want to look closer?
Why ask it
Push for concrete signs in place of general reassurance: how long a low stretch lasts, pulling away from friends, changes in sleep, eating or grades. Offer examples from the past month, not adjectives. If your teen is in the room, let them describe it first.
What can you tell me about the mood screening, and what happens if a score is high?
Why ask it
A screening form opens a conversation and is not a diagnosis, and the doctor can explain what a score does and does not mean. Depending on the office's privacy rules, you may hear the result in general terms only. Either way, learn the next step here: a follow-up visit, a referral, a counselor in the building, and how long the local wait for a therapist runs.
My teen gets stomach aches before school and avoids things that make them nervous. Is this worry that needs help?
Why ask it
A common yardstick is what the worry stops a person doing, so describe that. Cover three levels: what to try at home, what the school can do, and the point at which a referral makes sense. Stomach aches and headaches deserve a physical look as well, so say how often they come.
If my teen ever talked about hurting themselves, what should we do that same day?
Why ask it
Get the exact steps and numbers for where you live: the office line, the after-hours line, the local crisis line, and when to go straight to emergency care. Save them in both phones before leaving the building. If the worry is current and not hypothetical, say so plainly, because that changes what the doctor does today.
School has become harder and focus is a problem. Could it be attention, sleep, mood or eyesight?
Why ask it
Report cards or a teacher's email give the doctor more to go on than a summary. Whether the trouble is new or has always been there shapes what gets checked first. Who does an evaluation, and what the school must provide, varies by district and country, so ask how it goes where you are.
How much screen time is reasonable now, and which limits do families manage to keep?
Why ask it
Expect to be asked what the screen is replacing: sleep, homework, sport, time with friends. Many doctors will steer you toward one or two rules that hold, such as where phones spend the night, over an hourly total. Have this one with your teen listening, so the rule is not only yours.
What do you ask teens about social media, and what should I be asking at home?
Why ask it
A doctor who sees teens all day hears what goes wrong: comparison, group chats that turn, strangers, things that cannot be unseen. Borrow their wording. Also ask how to react when your teen shows you something upsetting, so your first response does not stop them showing you the next thing.
How do you bring up vaping, alcohol and drugs with teens, and what are you seeing locally at this age?
Why ask it
Many doctors raise this in the one-to-one part of the visit, which is one reason that part exists. Two things to take home: what they would want a parent to say, and a sensible first response if you find a vape. What is common differs a great deal between schools and towns, so their local picture is more useful than a headline.
Do you talk with teens this age about relationships and sexual health, and what do you leave to parents?
Why ask it
Practice varies, and so do the rules on what a teen can discuss in confidence, so ask how this office handles it. Knowing what the doctor covers shows you which conversations are still yours to have. A book or site the doctor recommends gives you somewhere to start that is not a speech.
Which safety topics do you raise at this age: helmets, e-bikes and scooters, riding in cars with older teens?
Why ask it
At fourteen more of the risk is out on the road than in the house, and the doctor can tell you which injuries they see in local teens. Age and helmet rules for e-bikes and scooters differ by place, so ask what applies where you live. If older friends are starting to drive, this is a good week to agree on a pickup call with no questions asked.
For the teen
Can I talk to you for a few minutes without my parent in the room?
Why ask it
For the teen: you are allowed to ask this, and many doctors expect it at your age and will arrange it without fuss. If saying it in front of your parent feels awkward, tell the nurse while your height is being measured, or write it on the form. You do not have to explain why.
If I tell you something, do you have to tell my parents?
Why ask it
Ask before you share, not after. The doctor will explain what stays private and the few situations where someone else has to be involved, which depends on local rules. Once you know where the edges are, you can decide what to say.
Is what is happening with my body normal?
Why ask it
Doctors answer this many times a day, and nothing you describe will be new to them. Save it for the time alone if you prefer. If saying it out loud is hard, type it on your phone and hand the phone over.
How do I know if how I am feeling is more than a bad week?
Why ask it
You do not need the right words. Say how long it has lasted and what it has changed: sleep, appetite, friends, things you used to enjoy. Asking does not commit you to anything, and sorting it out is the doctor's job, not yours.
I am tired all the time. What could be causing it?
Why ask it
Say how many hours you really sleep, what you eat before noon, and roughly when the tiredness started. It has a long list of ordinary causes and some that a blood test can check for, so expect plenty of questions back. Answer the one about your phone honestly.
What actually helps with sweat and body odor?
Why ask it
Adults file this under small things and school makes it a large one, which doctors know. Ask what to look for on the label and what comes next if the ordinary kind is not enough. If it is stopping you from doing something, such as changing for gym or raising your hand, say so.
Can I message or call the office myself when I have a question?
Why ask it
Some offices let teens use the portal or phone the nurse line from a certain age, and others route everything through a parent. Find out the rule here and which number to use. It is practice for the day you book your own appointments.
Which parts of my own health should I start handling myself?
Why ask it
Start small: the names and doses of anything you take, what you are allergic to, and how to describe your own symptoms. Ask the doctor to quiz you next year. Parents, this is the moment to stop answering for them.
What should I come back for before next year's check-up?
Why ask it
Have the doctor list what should not wait twelve months: an injury that is not healing, a mood that will not lift, a period problem, a question you ran out of time for. Then find out how to get an appointment, and whether you or a parent has to book it.
How to get the most from a teen well visit
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
The week before
Tell your teen what the visit involves
Say plainly that there will be a physical exam, possibly a shot, a form about mood, and a few minutes with the doctor without you. A fourteen-year-old who learns all of that in the exam room spends the appointment bracing instead of talking.
Mark a handful and split them between you
A well visit is short, so go through the groups together, mark the few that matter this year and decide who asks which. Growth, vaccines and forms sit comfortably with a parent. Anything about the teen's body or feelings lands better when the teen asks it, even if the wording is clumsy. Whatever is left over can go to the nurse line or the portal afterwards.
Collect the paper
The sports form, the vaccine record if you hold one, the names and doses of any medicines, period dates, and whatever you can find out about heart trouble in the family. Each of these gets asked for, and each is hard to produce from memory with a nurse waiting at the keyboard.
Have your teen write down one private question
It does not have to be shown to you. A question typed into a phone the night before is much more likely to be asked than one a teen has to invent while the doctor waits.
During the appointment
Sit where the doctor faces your teen
Take the chair by the wall and leave the one nearest the doctor. Where people sit decides who gets spoken to, and the visit works better when the questions go to the patient.
Step out easily when asked
The one-to-one time is routine at this age in many offices and says nothing about your family. Leave without a joke or a warning look. A parent who makes it awkward teaches the teen to say as little as possible once the door closes.
Ask for the threshold
When the doctor says something is normal for the age, follow with 'what would make it not normal'. A number of weeks, a pattern or a sign gives both of you something to check at home in March, when the visit is a memory.
Agree what goes in writing
The vaccine record, the signed form, any plan for skin, sleep or mood, and the numbers to call. Check that they are on the visit summary or in the portal before you leave, and that your teen knows where to find them too.
What changes from place to place
Privacy and consent
What a teenager can discuss or agree to without a parent, and what a doctor may keep private, is set by state or national law and differs by subject. The office deals with it daily, so ask them to explain their rules instead of relying on what a friend in another state was told.
Vaccines and school requirements
Which vaccines fall in the early teens, and which a school insists on before enrollment, depends on the country, the state and sometimes the district. Ask for the office's own schedule and compare it with the school's list.
Sports clearance
The form, how recent the physical must be, and the rules for returning after a head injury belong to the school, league or governing body. Read their requirements before the appointment so the doctor signs the right document once.
What is covered
A yearly well visit may be free, covered or billed, and a blood test, a form fee or a mental health referral may be handled differently again. The front desk or the insurer can answer that, ideally before the test is run.
Where this visit goes wrong
Discussing the teen as if they were not there
Listing a fourteen-year-old's faults to a doctor while they sit on the exam table ends their part in the conversation. Describe what you have seen, then ask them whether that is how it looks from their side.
Recruiting the doctor into an argument
'Tell him he needs to get off his phone' turns the doctor into your backup and the teen into the defendant. Ask the open version, how much is reasonable, and let the doctor's answer stand by itself.
Quizzing your teen about the time alone
Asking in the car what was said once you had left the room undoes the reason for leaving it. If something needs your involvement the doctor will bring you in. Otherwise 'anything you want to tell me' is the whole question, asked once.
Skipping the year because nobody is sick
Teens see a doctor less often than small children do, and a healthy year is exactly when a growth chart, a vaccine record and a quiet question about mood get their turn. Book next year's visit on the way out, away from the sports season rush.