Your teenager is a big part of your life; they’re still your little baby, no matter how old they’re getting, and you want to be there for them as much as you were when they were a kid! But teenagers have a lot of special needs, and no matter how much you try to connect with them, there’s always a chance they’re going to push against you.
But being there for your teen isn’t something to give up. You’re a good parent, and you want to always be one, no matter how old your children get! When you’re next talking to your teen about their life, or you know they’re going through some troubles, keep the following points in mind.
Create a Safe Talking Space
If you want your teenager to talk to you, whenever they have a problem, no matter how bad or serious it might be, you need to create a safe space for talking. You need to ensure they know they can come to you, without fear of judgement or crass words.
As a parent, you might want to shout and scream from time to time, because you’re worried for them or you know they’ve done something that conflicts with how you raised them, but you can’t let these feelings come to the surface.
Create a safe talking space that’s about them. Let them say whatever they want or need to when they’re talking to you, and make sure you sit and listen the whole time they’re going on. Let yourself think things through; you’ll be a lot calmer and rational in your response this way, and that’s what your teen wants from you. If you want to mention heroin addiction treatment for teens to them, a safe talking space and tone like this would allow you to do so.
Find Something to Do Together
If you want to be able to connect with your teenager, on a one on one personal level, you should find something the two of you can do together. After all, if you’re trying to connect, yet have completely separate lifestyles, you’re never going to make much progress! Don’t let yourself be too busy, and don’t let your teen seclude themselves away from you.
Instead, get to know their interests a little more closely. Talk to them about what makes them happy; make sure you listen when their eyes light up and they get passionate about something. It’s in these moments that you’ll discover common ground and understanding, and ideas for where to go from there.
Find a class nearby that you can take together, or a hobby you could try out together; gardening, or knitting, or even just kicking a ball around in the park can all work well! A little bit of effort and your teenager will be hugely appreciative of what you’re doing for them.
Being there for the teenager in your family might seem hard and confusing, but there’s some great ways to connect.
