Teenage is the most critical age in the journey of life. During parenthood, you need to be more sensible when it comes to taking care of your teen. Life as a teen is no means easy. Your teen is going through everything that is changing both physically and emotionally. And as a parent, you need to be more friendly and accessible to your child, keeping in mind his best interests. This is the phase when your child needs your utmost support and encouragement in things he does. Let us assist you with some tips that will help you in maintaining a better friendly relationship with your teen.
Show Trust – Trust is the foundation of any parent-child relationship. Boost your child’s confidence by letting him know that you have faith in him. Make him believe that you are someone who takes him seriously and with whom he can share his deepest secrets and desires.
Keep Confidentiality – Anything that you discuss with your teen must be kept only between you both. This helps in reinforcing the trust of your relationship with him. If the young one finds out that you have talked about him behind his back, he’s not going to share anything with you again.
Listen and Do Not Lecture – Being curious to know about what’s happening in your teen’s life is totally okay, but do not be in a hurry to question them directly. Instead, sit back and listen patiently about the information your teen is sharing with you. Be very open and assure that they do not feel pressured into having conversations with you. If you disagree with the way they handle a situation, do not start lecturing them immediately. Ask for the anticipated outcome of that situation and guide accordingly. If they do not listen, let them learn from their own mistakes so that they can make better-informed decisions the next time they come across a similar situation.
Give them the Freedom – Don’t be a dictator and set rules for everything. Give the young one space to grow and explore things on their own without having any restrictions. If you have any concerns, express, and question it in a friendly manner. This way they would be willing to listen to you and understand you better. Simplify your family code and encourage them through both success and failure.
Spend Quality Time Together – Don’t just talk to communicate with your kid, but also make plans to spend time together doing things you both enjoy. Take them out for dinner, watch their favorite movies, and plan a short trip to the place they desire to visit. You would be glad to see your kid excited and cheerful engaging in activities you both do together. Just hang out and have some fun. This would also give you time to bond and have meaningful conversations, helping you build a friendly equation and create beautiful memories at the same time.
Be Transparent – Promise to have a healthy environment in the house where everyone in the family would be able to confess their mistakes without having the fear of being judged. Make sure no one hesitates to accept their faults in front of the family. This way your kid would open up more effectively whenever he needs your support.
Do not forget to Praise – Usually, parents tend to praise the younger children, but teenagers do not receive the required amount of praise. Make sure to amplify your teen’s self-esteem so that he doesn’t feel strained about the situations that arise. A right dose of encouragement is much needed to keep them positive and open to challenges.
Be Attentive – Watch for any changing behaviour in your teen. This means he is not okay with the things happening around him. Try to ask about it and be supportive without being judgmental and help him find a solution to that problem.
Share a Meal – Having meals together is another great way to stay connected with your teen. Dinner conversations give you a chance to check up on what’s going well and what needs to be worked upon. While having that delicious food you prepared for your kid, you can also talk casually about sports, television or about the things your kid is interested in. Having such casual conversations might help your kid to approach you unhesitatingly during harder times too.
Don’t forget the child within you if you want to be a better parent. Rekindle your creativity and let your imagination be free in order to enjoy your parenthood. This journey from being an authoritative figure to being a friend would be quite difficult, but do not let that adult in your hamper the pleasant equation you wish to have with your kids. Those busy schedules and raging hormones should not be the reason for not putting enough effort into this friendly relationship you want to build.
Hope you are your child’s friend, not only on Facebook but in real life too!
