09 Jun 👍 8 Effective Ways to Practice Positive Parenting for Teens 👍
8 Effective Ways to Practice Positive Parenting for Teens
We all know of the struggles parents have once their children hit the teen years. It can be a stressful time filled with tension, power struggles, heated arguments, and frustration. Parent-child relationships often get strained during this time as parents wrestle with accepting a harsh fact: The young child who once depended on them for everything and demanded cuddles and kisses to make their boo-boos go away is now asserting their independence and becoming their own person. This is where positive parenting for teens comes in.
Parenting teens is no easy feat. Most of the time, it’s a tricky task that seems impossible for a parent to win. But according to experts, one of the best ways to ensure you remain present in your teen’s life is to focus on your relationship instead of your authority as a parent. At this stage, parents must understand that punishments only serve to distance themselves from their teens. Instead, parents must shift their roles into becoming a friend and advisor.
Positive parenting for teens, also known as positive discipline or gentle guidance, values kindness, trust, and connection between the parents and their child. It prioritizes the bond between a parent and a child over imposing rules and doling out punishments for bad behavior. Instead, positive parenting for teens places importance on kind and firm parenting techniques. Praising your child three times more than you criticize them helps build their confidence and self-esteem. The 3:1 positive-to-negative ratio is a simple rule of thumb to help you maintain the right balance.
How Should Parents Treat Their Teenager?
Teens crave a friendship-like connection with their parents because they want assurance that their parents understand, accept, and love them no matter what. However, teens are also adamant about their need to be independent. Your teen will be more inclined to open up and share their life with you if you can find a way to be present without taking advantage of your authority as a parent.
But does a close friendship with your teen erode their respect for you as a parent? Don’t you cherish your friends and esteem those who are actually there for you emotionally? You’ll get respect, thoughtfulness, and honesty if you treat your teen the same way.
However, it’s important to remember that even when you want to practice positive parenting for teens, you’ll have to say no now and again. This is particularly crucial in setting boundaries that teens may be unable to set for themselves. Whether it’s an unsupervised party or a very late bedtime, you’ll need to adhere to your beliefs and be firm about the rules and limitations from time to time.
Make it a daily habit to check in without being too nosey. A few minutes of conversation while cleaning up after dinner or immediately before sleep may help you stay focused and communicate openly. Even teenagers who appear to have forgotten who their parents are for the other 23 hours of the day appreciate a good night embrace and a check-in discussion after they’re in bed. Establish a regular weekly plan for doing something special with your adolescent, even if it’s simply going out for ice cream or taking a stroll together, in addition to these brief daily check-ins. Whether they admit it or not, teenagers still need your time and attention.
How Do You Practice Positive Parenting for Teens?
Any mom or dad would agree that parenting teens is arguably one of the most complex parts of being a parent. While every parent wants to make sure they set up their kids and teens for success and provide a happy, accepting, and safe home life, there will always be challenges that make accomplishing all these easier said than done. For example, it’s second nature for parents to want to protect their children, but teens have a fierce need to be independent and be seen as their own person.
For a parent, wanting to know everything their child is into is only natural, but a teen might view this as being intrusive and lacking trust. Certain instances can lead to conflict and tension, making it nearly impossible to practice positive parenting for teens. But all is not lost. You can turn things around as a parent with the right communication strategies, an open and accepting mind, and truckloads of patience. Below, we list the most effective ways to practice positive parenting for teens.
- Be active in your parenting.
Don’t encourage disobedience by refusing to realize that your child is growing up and requires greater independence. However, don’t hesitate to inquire about your children’s whereabouts, who they’ll be with, and what they’ll be doing. Learn about your children’s friends and their parents so you can stay up to date with their activities. Granted, your teens will likely not be thrilled when you bombard them with questions. It’s important to set ground rules before saying yes or no to their requests. Allowing them to go out with their friends on the condition that they follow check-in times lets your teen know that you trust them enough to be responsible. This is important as trust-building is crucial in practicing positive parenting for teens.
- Support their interests.
Every person aspires to be the best version of themselves. As parents, it’s your responsibility to help your children in this endeavor. However, don’t expect your child to fulfill the goals you set for them. Teens need to start charting their own course with the help of parents who love them for who they are and believe they can achieve everything they set their minds to. Encourage your teen’s interests and inquisitive nature as they develop their own voice.
- Make eating meals together a top priority.
Meals are a terrific time to unwind and discuss or bond over the day’s events. They’re also your greatest chance to stay up to date on your teen’s life and issues and notice any concerns. Let them talk about anything they have in mind, and listen actively. Even when you’re talking about trivial things, the simple act of just talking and hanging out together develops their sense of family and helps build a habit of openness.
- Encourage self-care.
Encourage proper self-care, such as getting enough sleep, eating a proper diet, exercising, and taking a few minutes daily to reflect and meditate. Teaching children the importance of self-care at an early age also helps them cope with stress better, be more aware of their feelings, process their emotions more effectively, and learn the value of mental health.
- Continue to hold family gatherings.
Communication is one of the foundations of positive parenting for teens. Family meetings address successes, complaints, sibling fights, schedules, and any other matters that concern a family member. Establish ground rules, such as allowing everyone to be heard, speaking one at a time, and giving only constructive comments. Some teens may find the idea daunting or boring, so you can make the activity more fun by doing it over pizza or ice cream.
- Keep laptops in your common area to keep teens safe and connected to the family.
Because children are often more computer-savvy than their parents, it may be difficult for parents to control what their children do online. However, studies suggest that if the computer is in a public area where you can see what your children are up to, they will be less motivated to spend time doing activities you disapprove of. Teens these days live online, but if online is in the heart of your house, you can still keep in touch with your family.
- Don’t force your teens to become self-sufficient before they are ready.
Every teenager matures at his or her own pace. You cannot force responsibilities and independence on them before they are actually ready. It’s not healthy for teens to feel as if they are being pushed to grow up and be independent. This will only lead to them becoming too reliant on their peers for approval. If they are not ready to spend a month at a sleepaway camp, forcing them to go anyway will not be much help. Recognize and respect their timeline.
- Be your teen’s moral compass.
Parents need to be their children’s emotional and moral compass during their adolescent years. Kids will begin to experiment with personal connections outside of the family, but they will need those close ties at home to be stable to do so effectively. When you practice positive parenting for teens, you must also allow your child to rely on you emotionally until they are able to do it on their own. Allowing teens to get this support outside the family often leads to negative consequences. When teens turn to their peers for guidance instead of their parents, they do so without realizing that their friends are not emotionally and mentally capable of providing them with what they require to become independent adults.
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Read more blog posts:
- 7 Tips for Parents Who Want Their Teen to Have a Stronger Sense of Self
- 6 Tips For Talking With Your Teen
- Why You Need to Validate Your Child’s Feelings
- 5 Ways to Create a Stronger Parent-Child Relationship
- 8 Effective Ways To Practice Positive Parenting For Teens
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⏩8 Effective Ways to Practice Positive Parenting for Teens⏪
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Craig Selinger
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