Have you ever paid attention to the life of a modern teenage society? If you’re a parent then you might have at least the remotest idea what challenges of a modern life your child has to face.
Adolescence is one of the most difficult stages of human’s life. During this stage a child makes a step into an adult’s life. From time to time, they can behave in a strange way due to the process of psychological, biological and emotional maturation. Instead of running to extremes, parents should arm themselves with patience and give their kids a chance to get used to new surroundings, responsibilities, duties and people.
Don’t think that a generation gap is the only source of all family relationship problems. While a generation gap can lead to a lack of understanding and disputes between you and your teen, as a parent, you should be more patient, sagacious and try to provide your child with the things, feelings and values that will help them grow up healthy and happy, no matter whether you understand each other or not.
Modern high technological world is full of hazards that can lead people up the garden path, especially teenagers. Children are smart enough to solve complicated situations without adult’s interference, but their minds lack the wisdom of life. I hope this article will open your eyes to the things that are crucially important to teenagers and help you realize that the future of your teen depends on your decisions and actions today.
1. Role models
By all means, every teenager should have a dream and an authoritative role model. A cherished dream is a thing that will always keep a teen inspired and motivated, regardless of everything. Unfortunately, sometimes inspiration isn’t enough to get the ball rolling. Children need certain skills to overcome weaknesses, handle difficult situations and turn their dreams into reality.
I think that it’s a direct responsibility of parents, because they’re the role models who have a strong emotional connection with their children. They should do their best to foster in teens love for a certain activity and impart them with practical skills. It’s strongly recommended to take a softly-softly approach, because excessive pressure can quickly make the kid lose interest in everything you advise.
Furthermore, you shouldn’t believe that children will find their calling on their own. Diffident adolescents usually have no idea what they want and think that they’re good for nothing. Let your child see that you love your job and hobbies. This gesture will help the teenager make a first confident and independent step towards their dream. Remember that you child will always analyze your behaviors, ape you manners and follow your example almost in everything you do.
2. Limits
Although limitations can be painful, they play an essential role in the process of your teen’s personality development. Freedom for teens has always been one of the most difficult parental dilemmas. Parents often puzzle their brains over the decision what limits to set and how much freedom to give their children.
This dilemma is actually a two-edged sword that can be both beneficial and harmful. On the one hand, too much freedom can give the room for growth and accelerate personal development. On the other hand, it can play a low down trick on them, because lack of freedom can hold teenagers back from experience and steal their confidence.
Try to set boundaries, limitations and rules for your child, but it’s necessary that you do it carefully. These limitations shouldn’t give rise to shame, fear and diffidence. If you keep the right balance between freedom and boundaries, then your child will take advantage of them, learn responsibility, self-discipline and understand how to cooperate with this complicated and challenging world.
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3. Healthy home environment
Peace and mutual understanding inside a family are the pledge of good physical and mental well-being for both adults and teenagers. The psyche of teenagers during the adolescence period isn’t always stable. Parents shouldn’t be hard on teens, but try to stay involved even if kids are wrong. They’re the only ones who can find the right individual approach and resolve a conflict.
Family atmosphere plays a critical role in the life of a teenager. It can be a strong source of help and support or bring sufferings, destabilize and dispirit. Children, especially adolescents, are extremely sensitive to emotional climate within the family. Like a sponge, they absorb their parents’ emotions, negative words and fights. Parents should once and for all realize that their actions shape the choices, behaviors and vision of the world of their teenagers.
The statistics show that teenagers from healthy and happy families become successful and full-fledged personalities in the future. Plus, they’re more likely to lead an active lifestyle and usually have harmonious relationships with people around.
4. Energy outlets
Without a doubt, children are an endless source of energy. They can stay active all day long and spend an evening playing with friends without getting tired. Then they go to bed, close their eyes, fall asleep and wake up feeling fresh in the morning.
But teenagers aren’t kids anymore. Like all adults, they learn to live and behave according to the rules and standards set by the society and state. It means that they begin to suppress emotions, swallow the pride and do the things they don’t want, but morally and legally obliged to do. These reasons, including sedentary lifestyle, usually lead to chronic tension inside their bodies and affect both mental and physical health.
It’s desirable for teenagers to find an outlet to release this tension and bid farewell to negative energy. What are the best tension outlets? Physical activities and sports have always been the best things that can redirect the teen’s attention to something positive and help them get rid of negative deep-seated feelings and tension.
5. Real friends
My heart aches when I see teenagers and children completely absorbed in their iPads and smart phones. I had been working as a social worker for many years and I can say with confidence that today more than 80% of teenagers cannot imagine this life without high-tech gadgets and Internet, because in most cases, they’re the dwellers of a virtual reality. Many of them prefer to sit at home and chat with virtual friends, instead of hanging somewhere and exploring the surroundings with real friends.
You may not know, but regular virtual communication can seriously depress and destabilize teenagers’ psyche and spoil the quality of life, because they’re almost cooped up in four walls. If nothing changes for the better, they gradually lose the desire to go outside, meet, communicate and cooperate with real people. If you think that your teen is addicted to electronic technologies, you should help them open up and encourage them to become more friendly and sociable.
Read also – 10 Friends Everyone Should Have in Life
6. Developmental activities
No matter how old you are, you should always move on and develop. Unlike adults, teenagers aren’t as knowledgeable and independent in their decisions. They often hesitate whether to do something they want or not and don’t know how to find the right direction in life due to lack of experience and point of view.
Every parent exerts a big influence on their kid’s life. During adolescence period parents should pay more attention to the formation and development of the teen’s self-esteem, because the success of the child depends on their self-esteem, temperament, life position, vision of the world and ability to adapt and respond to various life troubles. Everything teenagers do should help them uncover their inner potential, skills, passions, talents and contribute to their personal development.
7. Good sleep habits
Good night’s sleep is a perfect nutrition to human brains. Teenagers should develop good sleep habits since there’s too much stress and anxiety in their young lives. Their brains get tired easily due to very fast intellectual, emotional and physical growth. Every day they learn large amounts of information and deal with toxic people.
If you don’t want your teens to face different sleep and emotional disorders, you should explain to them that good night’s sleep is an indispensable part of their overall well-being. They should stick to a normal sleep schedule to give their bodies an opportunity to have a rest at least at night.
You’re not just a parent, but a guardian angel that’ll always give a helping hand to your child and don’t let them make a false step. Probably these tips modify your parenting style and make you wiser. What other important things or values every modern teenager should have? Share your point of view with us, please.