Everyone who has ever raised a teenager knows what a challenge it can be. These 5 tip for improving relations between parents and children will help.
A whopping 20 percent of teenagers experience episodes of depression. As adolescent brains develop, it can be hard to nurture positive relations between parents and children.
Your teenager experiences puberty and major brain growth during a time in their life where everything is changing. Transitioning to high school and becoming more mature is a lot for them to handle.
If you’ve noticed that your relationship with your child has been on the rocks lately, check out these 5 tips to help get you back on track.
Strengthening Relations Between Parents and Children
Not every situation is the same and not every child is the same. It’s not always just about how to be a better parent to a teenager, the parent and teen relationship is complex.
Use these tips as a foundation, but seek professional help if your child needs it.
1. Listen to Your Teen
It’s easy to tell your child what they need to do or how to fix whatever is going on in their lives. What you may not realize, though, is that the opposite is what is usually needed.
Your child may just need someone to listen to their problems. If you’re worried about them having serious problems or making bad decisions it also allows you to truly understand what they’re going through.
2. Respect Them
Respecting your teen’s boundaries while establishing your own can be very tricky, but also important. Know what boundaries are and how to handle your teenager’s boundaries while still being a parent.
Your child deserves their privacy and allowing them to work things out on their own is great training for becoming an adult.
To do this, inform your teenager what your own boundaries are and then enforce them. Setting clear limitations makes it easier for both of you.
3. Stay Calm
If your teenager tells you something that makes you frustrated, try not to lose it. The same goes if you find out something that they’re hiding.
Staying calm and talking about it with them allows you to resolve the problem much faster and prevents the angry slamming of doors and could actually teach them a real lesson instead of just punishment.
4. Teach Responsibility
Showing your child that you trust them with more responsibility goes a long way to show them that they’re a contributing member of the family.
Find household errands or chores that they can handle. Maybe even give them the responsibility of paying a small bill every month. These things give them a reason to respect the household and you.
5. Bond with Them
One of the best pieces of advice when you’re parenting a teen is just to get to know them. Spending real quality time with your children is the best way to form a stronger relationship.
Carve some time out every week or better yet, every day, to put the phones away and talk. Play a board game, cook dinner together, or any other activity that gives you bonding time.
This gives you insight into your teenager’s life. If this bonding gives you clues that your child may be depressed, check out this new article to learn how to help them.
Parenting a Teenager
Being a good parent isn’t easy, nor is being a teenager. But strengthening the relations between parents and children can be. The more you understand each other, the better your parent and teen relationship will be.
Good luck on your journey, and if you want some more insight into bettering your life or a bunch of other subjects, check out some other great articles.
