The teen years are a period of intense growth, not only intellectually and physically but also of moral standards of your child.
Apart from the rapid growth, this period is usually a time of great confusion for the parents and the teens. Most parents dread the teenage years due to the upheavals and changes associated with this period.
Suddenly your sweet smiling girl or boy turns into a hard-to-understand monster that drives you up the wall. In spite of these changes, it is possible to navigate the teenage years successfully if you abide by certain principles.
Parenting Tips for Teenage Sons and Daughters
Here are useful parenting tips for teenage kids:
1- Talk to your child early enough
Most parents wait for too long to talk about changes the child is experiencing. As a result by the time they figure out that they are no longer dealing with a small kid, their teen has already started experiencing changes in their bodies.
If you discuss wet dreams or menstruation with your kid after they have occurred, it means that you took too long before engaging your teen about such issues.
Rather than wait until it is too late, you should begin talking to your children early on by answering questions kids have about their bodies such as the differences between girls and boys.
Children usually ask where babies come from, rather than give awkward answers to this question, offer a credible explanation that befits the child’s age. Though honesty is critical when answering these questions, avoid overloading the child with information.
2- Educate yourself properly
Do not make the mistake of ignoring easily available information about teenagers. Think back on your own teenage years, remember the struggles you faced with issues such as acne and body including development of breasts or deepening of your voice.
Arming yourself with information will help you to expect certain changes such as mood swings in your sunny kid as well as conflicts that is common as teenagers try to find themselves. In most instances, parents who know what is coming can cope better with the situation unlike parents who are caught off-guard by the teenager’s outbursts.
3- Pick your battles carefully
Choosing your battles carefully is among the useful parenting tips for teenager’s. Teens tends to do crazy things such as wearing funky clothes, dyeing their hair or painting their fingernails black.
Whenever you notice these things, think twice before objecting. In most instances teenagers do crazy things to shock their parents, as a result it is easier to let some of the harmless things pass and leave the objections for major issues such as drugs or permanent changes to their appearance.
If you find it hard to deal with them alone, you can always take the help of therapist. You can get one by searching a counselor for teenager near me online where you can find reliable ones like Tammer Malaty therapy Houston Texas.
4- Inform the teen about your expectations
Teenagers are highly likely to get seriously unhappy with expectations placed on them by parents. In spite of this, they need to know that their parents care enough about them to expect certain things from them, these include adherence to the family rules, acceptable behavior and good grades.
When parents have reasonable expectations, teens are likely to seek to meet them. If there are no reasonable expectations, your teenager will start to thinking that you do not care about them.
5- Be on the lookout for warning signs
Though your kid will change a lot during the teen years, you need to be on the look out for signs that indicate that things are going awry. Drastic or long-term switch in personality usually signal real trouble. Warning signs include:
- Sudden changes in friends
- Falling grades
- Run-ins with the law
- Drastic changes in personality
- Sleep problems
- Extreme weight gain or loss
Apart from the changes stipulated above you should also look out for drastic changes that last for more than 6 weeks as this may herald trouble.
Though there will be glitches or two as your kid adjusts and navigates the changes in their bodies, do not standby helplessly if an A or B student suddenly begins to fail. If you notice such changes, consult a psychologist or counselor promptly.
6- Monitor what teens see and read
Technological advancements have made it possible to get information fast. The internet, magazines and TV shows are just some of the sources of information you need to monitor.
Though teens will resent you for this, do not hesitate to set limits on the programs or time spent in front of the TV or computer. In addition, know what your children are learning from the media and who they are interacting with online.
7- Respect the privacy of your kids
Respecting your child’s privacy is among the useful parenting tips for teenage kids. Most parents struggle with this rule quite often. They are torn between busting their kids when they suspect they may be up to something mischievous or simply sitting back and keeping an eye out for serious trouble.
If you keep sticking your nose into your teen’s business, you are likely to end up with a very unhappy and grumpy kid. To help your teen develop into a responsible adult, you need to respect their privacy. If you notice signs of trouble, you can intervene to help sort out the issue, otherwise back off.
