Teens have always had it hard – as parents, we have been teens ourselves and hence know what the issues and problems of teenagers can be today. Usually, parents have loads of complaints about their teenagers, and nothing seems to work.
However, the truth is that there are potential solutions out there that you can implement in your family life and in your interactions with your teens. Firstly, you will have to understand the potential problems that the teens of today are going through – and some of the problems are completely different than the problems that you had when you were a teen yourself.
Common Problems of Today’s Teens
- Negative body image
- Peer pressure
- They want to belong to communities other than their families
- Struggle with addiction recovery
- Difficulty with time management
- Difficulty with stress management
- Mental health issues
- Food disorders
- They don’t have mentors and heroes
- Unhealthy social media engagement
- Online bullying
How to Help Your Teens
Be Encouraging
Now that you know that your teens might be going through a lot – without telling you – most of the time because they believe that you are from another dimension and hence wouldn’t understand them, you might want to step down from the parental figure and become their friend instead.
Wipe off any gaps and encourage your teens to share their feelings with you. You mustn’t always make it as obvious as it will give off the impression that you are patronizing them. Keep it casual and comfy as you ask them about their day.
Acknowledge their Emotions
Another way to help your teens with their struggles is by expressing your understanding and by acknowledging their emotions. There might be things that will make you uncomfortable as a parent, but you will have to bite your urge to parent and make them feel understood by using some simple terms, such as “I understand,” “this is surely difficult,” and “sounds right.”
Bond over Choirs
You can have little yet meaningful conversations while asking them to join you while preparing dinner or any other choir. Trust us when we tell you that a few words of encouragement are sometimes all it takes to get your teen to talk to you and share the potential issues and challenges they might face in their life.
Read: What Is Gre Score Validity ?
The Takeaway
As a parent – sometimes the easiest way to deal with your teen is by complaining instead of focusing on the solution. However, we also recommend changing your mindset as a parent and seeing things from your teen’s perspective.
Only this way will you be bae to take your parental responsibility for your kid right now. Even though your teens might be difficult to deal with now, you cannot abandon them as a parent. Become their protective and nurturing shield. Be there for them and be their hero – the person they know will have their back – no matter what.
Have faith and trust in your teens so they can also return that trust and faith to you.
