Cheat sheet of raising a teenager

Teens are swiftly changing and often their lives are filled with emotional, physical, intellectual, and social turmoil. Understanding this helps parents manage their child’s new and rocky stage of development. Adolescence can be a confusing time of change for teens and parents alike. But while these years can be tough, there is plenty you can do to nourish your teen and encourage responsible behavior.

Here is a cheat sheet on how to raise a teenager and deal with everyday challenges.

Show them your love

Showing them affection is still as important as it was when they were little. Loving means you will need to find ways to express your love through actions and not only by words. Do not make them feel unloved and give them the proper attention that they need in their teenage.

Encourage them

Teenagers are needed to be encouraged constantly. Determining their worth makes them more confident and fearless. It also affirms their moral character and makes your relationship with your kid stronger.

Get to know their friends

Teens are crazy about their friends and social lives. Talk to them about their friends and know them. Ask them questions about their friends and also listen to their stories. Create a friendly environment at your home where your teen’s friends can gather and get to know their family as well. This can give you both a lot of time to bond over.

Take them on a little adventure

Nothing earns the right with a teenager like doing something thriller and adventurous. Take them out for rafting or go camping to spend some quality time together and learn their interests. Getting out of your comfort zone for them will increase their bond with you.

Give them their share of space

Give them independence and a chance to establish their own identity. It is important for you as a parent to help them establish their own place in the world. This doesn’t mean that you let them hang out with a bad influence.

Make ground rules in advance

Both the parents and the teen can have a discussion and some kind of agreement to be on the same page as their kid. You can ban them from driving for a week or cut their allowance. In the worst case, you can ground them for a month. Make sure you are not to harsh on them and agree on a fair punishment.

Let them feel guilty

if they have done something wrong, make sure that they feel bad about it. Guilt is a healthy emotion. They show should know how it feels when you hurt someone close. So, do not be very easy on them to let go of a mistake.

Brainstorm with them

Question them about how to handle a particular situation. Help them figure out how to handle a potentially unsafe situation. Come up with a situation that feels comfortable to your child.

Help them with their school homework

Sit with them and talk to them about school like you did when they were younger. Help them with their homework and school projects. This will give you both quality time to spend together.

Always be a good listener

If you are not a good listener, there might be chances that your kid starts to hide things from you. Very few adults respect and listen to teens. When you listen to them, they feel empowered. Let them feel that they have a voice. Let them know that you are there for them and they can feel free to talk to you about anything.

Be a role model

Teens learn from what they see. So, it is very important for you to be cautious about how you present yourself in front of your kids. If they have a good role model at an early stage, they are less likely to make bad decisions in their adulthood. You are the source of wisdom that they need.

During the teenage, the kids need their parents more than ever as they go through a lot of changes physically and mentally. Research shows that a positive family environment includes fun family activities, open parent-child communication and encouragement to participate in positive extracurricular and community activities. Teens are then able to navigate these years with relative ease. Remember that teens can be enthusiastic, exuberant, ardent, optimistic, and creative. Raising them can stuff your life with the same.