The teenage years are far more difficult for some parents than others. The truth is that being a teenager can be tough as you are expected to act like an adult without being treated as one. Perspective is important as not all teens will be doing what you did at a certain age. This can be in a positive or negative way as friends make a huge difference in decisions that are made. The right crowd to spend time with can be so important and a relief to parents of these teens. Below are things to keep in mind when parenting teens that can help put certain issues into perspective.
Hormones Can Be Raging
Raging hormones lead to a number of fights as a teen might not be able to deal with this in the appropriate manner. Do not come down hard on a teen that might be having issues managing their emotions. Getting professional help can be recommended as having someone to discuss things with can be important in a teen’s life. A large number of people do not express emotions in a healthy manner so expecting a teen with a changing body to do so is tough. With this being said, basic standards of respect need to be set in the home.
Be Realistic About Their Workload
Teens need to have a realistic workload as school, athletics, and social life each require time for a balanced life. Asking a star athlete with perfect grades to get a job in their extra time is too much pressure. Relaxing can be so important for a teen as some parents seem to think their teen shouldn’t take it easy on weekends. School along with extracurricular activities requires the same if not more time than full-time jobs when homework/practice is included. Sometimes teens want to relax like adults whether it is by jumping in a hot tub or having a day binging their favorite Netflix series.
Watching Out For Warning Signs
Teenagers have changed with the introduction of social media and smartphones. Anxiety is up for teens along with adults that spend excessive time daily surfing social media. There are a number of reasons for this but the newscycle can be quite depressing. Bullying via social media can be a huge problem as victims can no longer escape their bullies.
Substance abuse is also a huge problem among teenagers. This can include vaping as the chemicals in these vapes can be unknown as well as harmful. The parents of the past had the advantage of being able to smell cigarette smoke on clothes but vapes are much more covert.
Alcohol could be a part of your teen’s social circle to some capacity or another. You do not want your teen to get into legal trouble which could impact college admissions in a negative manner. Drinking and driving should never be tolerated as this can have potentially deadly consequences.
Teens can present different challenges and with technology, they might be as good at hiding certain things as kids were int he past. The smartphone is an advantage though as tracking your teen can help you ensure they are safe.