| ng teenagers is a monumental task - it requires a lot of | | | | feelings would be crucial as they would provide |
| patience but the rewards are enormous. Parenting | | | | pointers to what your teenager is thinking and where |
| teenagers is not easy - it takes creativity, | | | | they need more support. |
| determination, and perseverance! There is no magic | | | | Treat them like adult: |
| formula in parenting teens but nothing can be achieved | | | | The next logical step in parenting teenagers is to treat |
| without effort and learning how to deal with and | | | | them like adult - ask for their opinions, advice and |
| approach your teenager in order to get the results you | | | | encourage them to come up with solutions to issues |
| want. Below is a step by step guide to parenting | | | | faced by the family. This will help them become more |
| teenager. | | | | confident and secured. At the same time it is important |
| Accept their situation and give love: | | | | to understand parenting teenagers is not about |
| Most teenagers complain that their life is miserable and | | | | abdicating your responsibility as a parent - the idea |
| everything wrong is happening to them. It is stage of | | | | here is to take their opinion and not drop the whole |
| life where everything gets exaggerated - as they are | | | | problem on their lap. |
| experiencing everything for the first time, they are very | | | | Focus on behaviours rather than person: |
| insecure and they are confused about what they | | | | When parenting teenagers we need to understand |
| should do to face the situation. The first step of | | | | that they take offence when direct comments are |
| parenting teens is to accept that they are not going to | | | | made on them. Hence when giving feedback on |
| be what they were as a child and that they are going | | | | anything focus on the behaviour rather than the |
| to question you, rebel for no reason, reject everything | | | | person. So instead of saying, "You are a very dirty |
| which is related to their childhood. | | | | boy, clean your room right away", say, "Your room is |
| The next step of parenting teenager is to give love | | | | not well kept and it is dirty - can you clean it?" |
| and support. Give them space and allow them to | | | | Parenting teenagers is much like dealing with any adult. |
| explore their emotions and ask you for support where | | | | Would you make direct comments on your colleague |
| required. Give them more responsibilities and make | | | | at work or your friend? If the answer is No - you need |
| them feel that they are adding value to the family and | | | | to ask why you would not have the same type of |
| their views are respected. | | | | conversation with your teenager. |
| Take time to listen: | | | | Take interest in their life: |
| Teenage is not just a change in your teenager's life | | | | Parenting teenagers requires fine balance. You cannot |
| but also in yours. What makes parenting teenagers | | | | let the rein too loose or tighten it a lot. Your teenager |
| tough is the lack of acceptance of the second half of | | | | needs space but also needs support. Having a quite |
| this statement. As parents if we keep to the old way | | | | hour at night to discuss the day or just some latest |
| of doing things, it is not going to help improve the | | | | developments in world of sport or science or |
| situation. Parenting teenagers is all about changing our | | | | electronics ... whatever interests your teenager can |
| role from "tell" to "listen". It is usually tough to keep our | | | | help to develop the rapport. Parenting teenager is the |
| mouths shut and stop giving advice - as we feel we | | | | art of changing your role from being a parent to being |
| know the best. But as you move to the listen mode | | | | a friend. More easily to can strike a conversation with |
| you will realise that it is far more rewarding as you can | | | | your teenager, more open they would get with you |
| gauge the undercurrents and their feelings - which you | | | | and more trust you would develop in the relationship. |
| would have never recognised before. Knowing these | | | | |