Any parent of teenage children will understand that it comes with its own set of challenges. All their life you have taught them the importance of strength and independence, but as they truly start to explore their freedom, it begins to put a strain on your relationship. Below, a private senior school in Hertfordshire explores the importance of good parent-teen relationships and gives some advice on how to maintain and improve them for those of you who feel you’ve lost touch with your teen.
It’s vital that you make yourself available to your teen so that they can talk to you about anything that’s going on in their lives. Although you might be busy with work or your younger kids, your teenager needs to know that you’re there for them to offload to sometimes and give them some much needed advice. When they get the opportunity to open up to you, try not to interrupt them or make them think you’re judging them, because they will be reluctant to open up again in the future. Instead, listen quietly and respectfully and then help them work through a solution to the issue at hand. However, while playing your role as agony aunt, try to maintain a line between being a parent and being a friend. It’s your job to provide support and direction and if you behave more like a friend, your child might forget to respect you.
If your relationship with your teen is strained and backchat, door slamming and screaming has become a regular occurrence, try not to take it personally. If you retaliate by raising your voice back, nothing will ever get resolved. Instead, keep calm and stay out of their way until they have composed themselves; just blame it on the hormones.
Try and refrain from constantly criticising your teenager and instead aim to give them a confidence boost every now and again. Teens really struggle with their self-esteem and often rely on the people around them to pick them up when they’re feeling down. With that in mind, be sure to praise them when they do things right as a form of encouragement.
Do you have any ways you help to bridge the parent-teen gap or tips for helping to build a parent-teen relationship? Please do share them below!
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