Like Moses leading his people to the promised land, teaching teenagers to conform to specific standards can be hectic.
Meanwhile, understanding their feelings and needs is much easier.
We will analyze some of the physical and psychological reasons why most teenagers appear to be nonconformists. Gaining insight into this is essential to enable you to cope with teenagers’ behavioral changes to help them in meeting their needs as a teenager.
Keep these reasons in mind:
- The feeling of self-consciousness
- Hormonal changes
- The feeling of maturity
- The desire to be independent
- The desire to be in social groups with peers
Most parents find it very difficult to handle these changes in their children and blame them for their sudden attitudinal changes. Being quick to blame them without understanding the reason for the changes could be harsh and may not be the best approach to dealing with such a situation.
If you consider your teenage children to be troublesome and too difficult to handle, think of calling your mother to apologize to her. You may have been even worse.
Your kids will not skip the changes of the teenage years, so it’s wise to prepare for the changes even before they unfold.
Meeting the Needs of Your Teenager – Common Parenting Mistakes:
- Failure to prepare your teens for adulthood. Every child must learn the ability to solve problems, handle difficult situations, make important decisions in life, learn composure, and all other moral norms from home.
- Parents and guardians are the key custodians of this responsibility, and it’s important to oversee that these values are part of their children’s upbringing.
- Being nonchalant. Many parents give up on their children after several failed attempts to get them on track. Many people believe teenagers have the fundamental right to make their own choices and decisions with minimal suggestions from their parents.
- Failure to set essential priorities. Too much work with no play makes Jack a dull boy. Likewise, too much play and no work will make Jack a lazy boy.
- Teenagers have much energy and, in most cases, will want to channel it into other pleasurable things.
Tips for Meeting the Needs of Your Teenage Child
Your kids are not as bad as you may think. They need an enabling environment that will offer them the required parental care, guidance, and encouragement as they grow into adults.
These tips will help you fortify your teen child:
- Build a strong parent-child relationship. Even though your child will try to pull themselves out of the shell, make an effort to draw your child very close to you with love and care. Let them express their opinions, worries, and present issues to you. They should tell you more than they tell their peers.
- Find a balance. Avoid being too authoritative. In your quest to monitor your children, avoid turning your home into a military base where you give orders with no room for opinions.
- Take an Interest in what Interests them. Teenagers discover themselves during their teen years. They explore a lot of things. Make it a point to motivate them in their interests.
- Plan times to be together. Make it a habit to spend time together often. You can have dinner together, watch movies, or play games. It helps keep intimacy and allows informal relationships to thrive.
A good relationship with your adolescent children goes hand in hand with their general success and happiness. It is vital to understand various methods in meeting the needs of your teenager.
