The Best Ways To Go About Parenting Teens

Nobody ever said parenting a child of any age was easy and each age group presents its own challenges for parents.  With newborn babies, you have the...


Nobody ever said parenting a child of any age was easy and each age group presents its own challenges for parents.  With newborn babies, you have the challenge of learning how to actually be a parent to a new child because you have no experience.  Toddlers get into everything all the time and need constant supervision, not to mention that they like seeing how much they can get away with as they learn about the world around them.  And then you have teenagers, who are learning their place in the world and pushing all of their boundaries.

Many believe that parenting teens is the trickiest part of being a parent because you have to set limits but not stifle a child’s growth.  It can be very difficult to know when a teenager needs a guiding hand, especially if they do not talk to their parents about the problems in their lives.  Most parents assume that for their relationship with the teenager to be considered a good  one, it cannot be filled with fights and arguments but that’s just not true.  In fact, parents and teenagers arguing can actually be the signs of a healthy parent and child relationship because it means that a parent is involved in their child’s life and is setting appropriate boundaries in their life.

A common issue facing teenagers and their parents is the subject of illegal drugs and staying away from them.   Teenagers will be exposed to drugs at least once so they need to know how to properly react and make a good choice when it comes to using them and what their dangers are.  You should also have honest discussions about sex and its risks including unplanned pregnancies and the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases.  Being honest about these things can help make sure that your teen is capable of making the best decisions on their own when they are faced with these things.

It’s also extremely important that you let them know that they are loved and cared for very much no matter what they do decide to do.  Listen to them when they express opinions about things ‚Äì don’t just lecture, actually listen.  It’s equally as important to let them know that even if they do make a bad choice that you are still there for them and are not going to stop loving them because they did something that was less than ideal.  Parenting teens can be very difficult but open communication can really help.

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