Gear Up for Summer – Preparing Your Child for Summer Camp
What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Let’s face it, as a parent raising a teenager is going to be one of the toughest challenges you have ever faced in your entire life. All of a sudden this cute little child wants to be their own person and no longer wants you hovering over them.
It can be quite a shock for many parents raising a teenager. But yes it is true, you will no longer be the center of their life and your teen is going to want to experiment and try things out on their own. So if you are raising a teenager, here are some things to keep in mind.
Your teen is your teacher
Your teen is going to be reflecting to you how you are as a parent when it comes to communication, patience, and guidance. This does not mean that everything falls on your shoulders. What it does mean though is that if your teen is acting out in a certain way towards you, they are reflecting back to you your communication and patience skills. Your children are also teaching you about you! So listen carefully to what they have to say.
They are not perfect
Many parents lose patience with their troubled teen pretty easily. But as a parent raising a teenager, you must remember that your teen is still learning and stumbling around and falling down is going to be a natural process of this learning curve. try to remember where you were at their age but at the same time don’t just compare and expect them to be the same as you. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and maybe what they are good at you are not.
It does not reflect poorly on you
Many parents are always concerned about what others think when they are raising their teenager. “What will my friends or neighbors think when they see my teen is out-of-control?” Well first off, most teens are nuts at this age so if your friends or neighbors have kids they will understand. Second, you must not concern yourself with what others think anyways. It serves no purpose other than constricting you into thinking you have to be or act in a certain way. Just let go and relax and be the best parent you can be without judging yourself or being concerned of what others might think.
Getting your teen help can be a challenge. At In Step we are here to support you through the toughest challenges and help parents guide their teenager towards becoming successful and healthy adults. The teen years are the important years in our developmental process and we can be there to help. If you have questions or concerns regarding your teen please don’t hesitate to call us at In Step.