What are the most important things you need to take care of while upbringing a teen?
Helping an adolescent become a caring, responsible and an independent adult is not an easy task; it can be very tedious. Adolescence is a confusing phase both for the teens and the parents. But you can do a lot of things to nurture your kid and give them a proper path to lead a happier life. You can consider some of these parenting tips and skills and can put them into action while raising your teen:
Give kids their own space
The adolescent is a phase where a kid grows physically, mentally and psychologically. Give your teen their own space so they can understands the difference between right or wrong. Give a chance to establish their own identity. But, make sure you stand by them and advise them at every moment. Your trust and love would help them in moving ahead in life.
Set legitimate expectations
Always remember that the teens gain confidence through the day to day accomplishments and success- be it getting a good score or winning a sports competition. Praise them whenever they do something good. Don’t focus on achievements such as getting straight A’s throughout. Rather than being a nitpick, give them tasks which he/she can handle. If your teen fails, be compassionate, supportive and motivate them.
Invite their friends over
One of best things to overlook your teen’s company is to see what sort of friends he or she is having. It would also help you to judge them better without saying no straightaway. If you bluntly say no, there are high number of chances that your kid would backfire.- it would just increase the clashes.
Educate them more about cybersafety
Yes, I agree your kid might be knowing a lot of things going on the internet. But a little mistake can wreck their life and you are obviously more matured and wiser than them. Educate them to go safe while being on the internet. Encourage them not to share their personal details, passwords or any other details which can harm them. Also, tell them to confine in you if any conversation over the internet makes them uncomfortable. Talk to them about the worst case scenarios of the life. Talk to them about drugs, alcohol and premarital sex. They should know the adverse effects of everything bad happening in the society.
Be a role model
It is said that your actions speak louder than your words. Set good examples in front of them. Give them examples from your struggle period- how you survived and how you came such long in your life. These things would surely motivate them. If they have a good role model in the early stage of their adolescent age, they’ll be less likely to make bad decisions when they grow up.
Don’t interrogate
Every teen wants their own space where they don’t like any sort of questions or interruptions. If you feel that your kid is going astray, talk to them. Act interested in their life. Share few things about your day; Ask theirs. How was the school? How was the date? How was the concert? These questions may make them a little more comfortable and they would start sharing things with you. If you kid hesitates, assure them that whatever may happen, you’d always be with them.
Parenting a teen is NOT at all an easy task. You might have to deal with a lot of tantrums and fuss. But I assure you, it would be worth the cause! When you’d see your kid transforming from a reckless mess to an independent adult, you’d certainly feel happy and content.