When it comes to parenting, there is a certain period of parenting which a lot of people can dread. Thinking about the time of their lives when they are teens can be a daunting picture. There are a lot of stereotypes about teens being difficult to deal with and being rebellious.
However, this doesn’t have to be your situation. Sometimes all it takes is knowing the right steps to take to ensure that these years stay as drama free as possible. Here are some of the best tips to ensure that the teen years are as painless as possible.
Keep Them Busy
Keeping your kids involved in activities which keep them busy and out of trouble. When kids are left with idle hands and bored minds they can start to look for ways to entertain themselves which may not always mean something which doesn’t involve mischief.
Although it may be a big task to have to haul them all over the place driving your car from location to location for their various activities, it’s not only in their best interest, but yours as well. Since it’s your job to make sure that their brains are active in order to stay out of trouble, it comes down to your commitment to making it happen.
Encourage Their Talents
It’s important for kids to know that they are admired and appreciated. When you notice something about your teens that you think is admirable, make sure that you let them know about it. A child who feels confident and loved is much less likely to participate in troublesome behavior.
Since they aren’t trying to rebel against anyone or prove anything, they are much more likely to stay on the right path.
Spend Quality Time Together
Spending time with your kids is not only reassuring for them, but it gives you time to get to know them as a real person. Sometimes parents make the mistake of only associating themselves with their kids with a parent/child relationship when they could have taken the opportunity to cultivate a real friendship.
In order to ensure that you cultivate a relationship, you should make sure that you spend quality one on one time together at least once a week. This way they won’t search for attention outside by doing things which they know will upset you.
Stay In Touch With Their Lives
Parents who don’t bother to ask how their child’s homework is going or whether they are enjoying their social lives are more likely to miss important clues about their children’s lives.
If you don’t check in regularly, you may find that you missed the warning signs that they were starting to get into trouble.
