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A child’s transition to being a teen from childhood may become something hard to deal with if there is tension between the parent and their teen. Parents tend to shy and drift away from their kids as they grow up. The drifting creates tension between the two.
The tension doesn’t need to happen since there are better ways to be close to your child. It would be best if you created a trust and mutual connection with your teenager in a way that is not forceful. As a parent, you should show that you are willing to work with your teen to build this trust.
Parenting teens may prove hard since there are many changes the teen is experiencing, including the friends they have, type of clothes worn, the time they spend at home, interest in dating, among others.
As a parent, the road you hit on handling teen issues will affect how you relate with your teen. You achieve good results by;
- Taking an interest in their interests
It may become difficult to accept some of your teen interests, especially if you feel they are not similar to yours. As kids grow, they pursue what they think is their passion. You should listen to their ideas and guide your teen appropriately on areas they are stuck in.
- Spending time together
Both the parent and the teen may occupy themselves with other things during that period rather than spending time together. As a parent, you have to plan bonding activities and educate your teen on the importance of family bonding.
- Setting of boundaries
When teens grow up, they feel the need to make decisions without objection from anyone. As a parent, you need to set some ground rules in your house. They need to understand you are the leader of the house. By doing this, mutual respect is maintained between you and the teen.
- Regular communication
A consistent flow of communication should be maintained while parenting teens. It would help if you asked them about their daily welfare to show them you care. Be keen on the areas in which they face difficulties and see how you can help them in such matters.
- Being honest and open
If you feel your teen has crossed some boundaries, you should be open enough to tell them so and discuss ways to improve on the affected area. Discuss difficult topics such as dating, drug abuse, and sex. This creates awareness, openness, and sound decision-making for the teen.
- Monitoring teen activities
Monitoring teens should be done with a lot of sensitivity so that they cannot feel like you are prying on their privacy. You can do this by asking simple questions on who, when, and how they plan on doing a certain activity.
Summary
Having kids grow into teens is such a huge blessing. Being an observant, understanding, and authoritative parent should be a skill needed to coexist with your teen peacefully.
