Teenagehood is one of the most critical stages in a person’s life. It is a time that entails transitioning from childhood into adulthood. This transition results in massive changes in the psychological, physical, and social wellbeing and, at the same time, shapes the child’s personality and character.
Admittedly, being a parent to a teenager, especially during this millennial time, is overwhelming. Owing to the massive changes taking place in their bodies and mind, plus the influence of modernization and technology, this set of persons tends to be highly curious and discoverable.
This makes them highly susceptible to bullying, gangs, poverty, negative influence of social media, mental health disorders, infectious diseases, pregnancy, and substance use problems.
This, therefore, calls for hard work, empathy, and understanding from you as their parent. The truth is, the parenthood journey has undergone massive changes in the millennial times, and as such, there is a need for you to arm yourself with the up to date information that will help you in parenting. Take a look at the below pointers that will help take your parent-teenager relationship to the next level.
Be Present
Among the many challenges that parents have to deal with in their parenting journey is their children’s lack of time. This is contributed by the fact that today parents are ever busy chasing their dreams and careers.
Additionally, life has become so hard that one must work to survive. This leaves parents with no option other than to leave the children behind as they strive to provide for the family’s needs.
The result is an unhappy and neglected child yearning for affection and love, and since the parents are not available to provide it, these children turn to the world, which results in hard to handle consequences.
To prevent this, strive to balance your time between work, career, and parenting.
Strive to Maintain a Friendly Relationship With Your Child
Teenagehood is a period that your child requires warmth, assurance, and affection. Additionally, it is a period that bombards the teenager with many queries needing answers.
Even though you need them to respect you as their parent, avoid being authoritative as this will only have far-reaching repercussions than good. For your children to open up, they need to feel the warmth and assurance from you.
Therefore, aim to achieve that close relationship with the children looking up to you for guidance and affection. Failing to do this will get your children out there looking for love, which will not be good.
Offer Them Your Support
In addition to being present and maintaining a friendly relationship with your children, always support your children when the need arises. This will go a long way in assuring them of your love and care for them.
As a teenager’s parent, you will often be bombarded with cases of peer relationship problems, stealing, drug abuse, reckless driving, depression, pregnancy, infections, and arrest.
When this happens, please maintain your cool as a parent and offer them the needed support. You can do this by showing up to their school to discuss the way forward, getting them out of jail through Bail Bonds, taking them for counseling sessions, to name a few. All in all, do whatever possible to support and show love to your child.
Be a Role Model
It is essential to keep in mind that teenagers are curious and always learning from you as their parent. Therefore they will most likely imitate your behaviour in their adult life. This means that how you treat each other as parents to a teenager will significantly impact their future relationships.
A teenager brought up in a home full of love is likely to grow up as an accommodating adult full of love and empathy. On the contrary, those brought up in homes where fighting, quarrelling, and abuse is the order of the day are likely to grow up as resentful adults and have numerous challenges in their relationships.
Provide Valuable and Truthful Answers
It will not help present, maintain a healthy relationship, and offer needed support if you do not have truthful answers at your fingertips. As teenagers are curious and providing them with truthful answers will go a long way in boosting their self-esteem.
For example, your teenage child may reach out to inquire about the physical changes taking place in their body. To take away their worry and help maintain their self-esteem, you will need to explain what is happening. This, without a doubt, calls for you to be knowledgeable.
Nonetheless, never hesitate to reach out for help in cases where you are not in a position to answer the child. You can contact the child’s teacher, your pastor, fellow teenager parent, and the internet or family counsellor for further guidance. The bottom line is to provide truthful answers.
Parting Shot
Your teenagers’ life is in your hands. It is up to you to shape them into the adult you would like them to be. Taking note of the above pointers will go a long way in helping shape your child into a wholesome adult who can face the more significant challenges of life.