If your son is starting to be quieter lately, and would only answer you with a simple “yes” or “no”, or when your daughter would rather go with friends than with you in the mall, then this is a clear sign that they are starting to enter the teenage years already.
Before you know it your baby will become a teenager!
This new phase in their lives can be both exciting and challenging for both the parents and the child. There are so many changes happening at this point, so you really have to be prepared for it, so that you teenager will be able to go through this teenage life easy and smoothly.
The first thing parents should understand when they start seeing changes in terms of the attitude and the way of thinking of their children is that this is normal. Everybody goes through this stage in life, and dealing with it the proper way is important in order to make sure that your child will not see your reactions negatively, which will result to something negative as well.
It is true that raising a teenager can be one of the most difficult responsibilities of parents. But with some guide to follow, you will surely find raising a teenager a challenge that can be handled easily. Check out the tips below on what parents should do, when raising a teenager.
Let Them Find Their Own selves
At this point, learn how to trust your children. They are not toddlers or babies any more. They are young adults who have the capability to find themselves using their own ways. Showing them that you are trusting them to be independent will somehow give them the self-confidence that they need to establish themselves.
Also, studies shows that children who are trusted by their parents are likely the children who won’t go astray, because they will value the trust that is given to them by the people who they look up to.
Discuss The Rules With Your Teenagers
Despite allowing them to exercise their independence, you should still make a firm stand that you, as his/her parents is still making the rules in the house. Make the rules clear to your teenager, and make sure that he/she is expected to abide by the rules, especially now, that he/she is an adult already; a person who can comprehend things better, and a person who knows what is right from wrong.
Talk About The Risks
Teenagers are adventurous. They will not fear trying out everything that they see around them, especially when they see these things happening or occurring within their peers. I am talking about drugs, sex, and violence. Discuss the risks that your children may face, if they decide to engage with any activity that will involve drugs, sex, and violence.
A nice way to discuss this is to tell stories of people. You can also cite examples like young mothers who struggle in life financially because they engaged in premarital sex when they were still young. Or perhaps a boy in the neighborhood who is now spending his time in rehab instead of school, because he got pressured by the wrong peers to try drugs.
