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Perhaps the parenting challenge that causes the most stress for parents is that faced when parenting teens. A time when the child is pulling away from the parent in preparation for becoming an adult and making their own decisions, can be a time of intense conflict.
Below are some tips about parenting teens. These teen parenting tips have been submitted by both parents and teens. Hopefully there will be something here that will take the scare out of raising a teenager.
- Once in awhile when your teenager leaves out notes from friends or emails, go ahead and read them but make sure you tell your teenager that you read them. My parents did this to me and it made me realize that they were always there, watching over me, but not in a sneaky way.
- It’s necessary to listen to teenagers as much as it is to control their actions. It’s important that they feel comfortable about saying things to their parents. This is possible only when parents are more like friends than critics. Respecting their opinions in important matters is one simple way to bring them closer and also helps them to develop a sense of responsibility.
- Get involved with your teen’s activities. For example, if they take tennis or play a musical instrument, include yourself in those activities. Be there for all the rehearsals and performances. They may not thank you right then, but in the long run, they will. I know this because it worked for me. I was the teen who had the really involved parent. Sometimes, I didn't want my folks around, but the few times that they weren't there, I actually missed them.
- I raised a daughter who is currently in college so I've been through this. Teens are really hard to understand and a lot of parents try to impose their authority on them which just makes them rebel. Approach them as a friend. Be accepting of their behavior and don't be naive. It's better that your teen tells you about having sex or drinking than if they keep it from you and do it anyway.
Parenting teens will never be easy, and is probably much more difficult today that it was 50 years ago. However with a lot of love, common sense and wisdom both the parents and the teen can survive and come out on the other side with a healthy and loving relationship.
Want to learn more? Check out these tips about parenting teens offered by teens themselves.
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