Advice for Families With Teenagers

If your family includes teenagers, then you will know that living with and caring for teenagers can sometimes be incredibly difficult and yet rewarding at the same time. As such, if you are struggling to connect with your teenagers or are worried about them and their futures, here is some advice for families with teenagers. 

Help Them Achieve Their Dreams 

Even if your teenagers do not often speak about the future and what they want to do once they leave school, most teenagers will have dreams in mind. As such, your job as a member of their family is to help them to achieve their dreams in any way possible. For instance, if they are worried about university and whether they will be able to get into the university of their choice, you might consider using a college chances calculator that can allow them to work out the possibility of them being accepted into the university of their choice. This can then help them to plan their future in more detail. You might also help them to attend the extra-curricular activities or hobbies that they are passionate about if they have dreams that centre around these hobbies. 

Use Technology 

Instead of trying to keep your teenager away from technology, you should instead learn to embrace this technology yourself. Not only will this bring you closer to your teenager, but it will also help you to understand what the benefits of tech are for your teen. Having technology in your home will allow you to create a modern environment to bring up your teenager within and this can also help them to prepare for a world in which technology will be all around them. If you do not live with the teen in your family, for instance, if you are a grandparent, then technology can also help you to stay in touch with them. As such, you should consider investing in a smartphone for your teen, as well as a laptop and other gadgets, like game consoles. 

Be Patient 

Although your teenagers might be moodier and less affectionate than they used to be as children, you should be patient instead of getting angry or giving up on connecting with them. By simply being there for your teenager and showing your love for them through your actions, you will be ensuring that they know that they are loved and supported, which can help with their confidence and self-esteem. Eventually, your teen will want to talk to and connect with you, but this will usually only be on their own terms. 

Look Out for Signs of Problems

Even if your teenager has an active social life and is doing well at school, this does not mean that they are not suffering from any mental or physical health problems. However, teenagers are sometimes more closed than children and harder to read, and you may not immediately know when something is wrong. As such, you should make sure that you look out for signs that there might be a problem. For instance, you should consider intervening if they suddenly become withdrawn, if they are moodier than usual, or if they are losing interest in their hobbies or acting out. You should also be aware of any pain that they complain of, and any changes to their physical appearance, such as weight loss, shadows under their eyes, and dry hair and nails. If you do think that something is wrong with your teen, you should consider trying to initiate a conversation or provide an opening for this conversation to start. 

Understand Their World

Instead of resolutely refusing to keep up with the times, and then finding that you are struggling to connect with your teen, you should instead try and understand and step into their world. For instance, you should consider watching their favourite television shows with them, asking them what music they enjoy listening to, and otherwise paying an interest in their lives and their passions. This can then help you to bond with your teen and ensure that neither you nor your teen feels as if you have become distanced from each other. 

Set Boundaries

However, when you have a teen, it is also important to provide some boundaries for each other. For instance, they may want their own space in their room and wish for you to knock when you want to speak to them, and you may wish for them to speak to you calmly when they are upset and to tell you when they are going to parties and will be staying out late. By setting these boundaries, you can then co-operate with your team and maintain trust.