Raising Teenagers Who Are Happy, Healthy, and Responsible

Growing up, my brother and I didn’t always feel as close to our parents during our teenage years, but it helped us learn a lot about independence and understanding overall getting better over time.

I remember sometimes those days this particular thing used to pinch us a lot and I used to hate my parents. However, with the passage of time, our relationship grew extraordinarily and we have all the good vibes for our parents. We have been so friendly that we frequently sit for couple of drinks with our father.

Now I’m on a stage where whenever we meet our peers somehow the kids become the central topic of our discussion. Also, I can feel the expectations of my kids, they are sometimes pampered by me.

There are times when they cross their limits and it becomes essential to show their place. This article is a compilation of points that I have been discussing with my friends for parenting our teenagers without losing our minds.

Striking A Balance

I hold a belief that getting overly friendly with your teenage kids can have several negative consequences. So it’s very important to strike a balance while thriving as a teenager’s parent.

They may lose respect for you as an authority figure. This can make it difficult for you to set boundaries and discipline them. It can happen when you try to be your teen’s friend instead of their parent.

If you’re too friendly with your teen, they may be less likely to come to you with problems or concerns. They may also be less likely to listen to your advice.

When you give your teen too much freedom, they may start to feel entitled. This can lead to problems down the road, like difficulty handling responsibility or making good choices.

When your teen doesn’t have clear boundaries or expectations, it can be difficult for them to transition to adulthood. They may not be prepared for the responsibilities and challenges of adulthood.

You want your teen to feel comfortable talking to you and coming to you for help, but you also need to be able to set boundaries and discipline them wherever necessary. It’s important to strike a balance between being friendly and being a parent.

“Good habits formed in youth make all the difference.” — Benjamin Franklin

Some people take it literally, when they say that treat your kid as your friend it is only about the mutual respect in the relationship. When I look at a few relations in my circle I find them doing completely wrong things.

You need to talk to your teenagers about hard things which friends generally don’t. Instead these parents try to become cool with their kids and during this, they show their weak side to kids which brings undesirable elements to the relationship.

Kids should not disrespect you for whatever you’re doing. I was surprised and upset when one of my friends was embarrassed for having a drink at the gathering, and his son made a scene over it.

Sometimes we lack certain elements in our personality when our kids and spouse take charge and eventually, we lose authority and respect.

Also never try to burden your kids with your expectations that when you grow older and they will start earning then they should get you this and that.

I’ve seen most parents telling kids that the upcoming life is going to be difficult and it’s not easy to survive. It’s very difficult to make money. Instead, they should be told that life is not at all difficult rather it’s full of joy and all kinds of pleasures.

We should bring them out from the state of scarcity and tell them about the law of abundance. Money is not difficult to earn unless you keep on doing your work earnestly.

Having said this that money is easy to earn you should never let them with easy money. You should teach them to earn their small gifts themselves by setting small challenges in front of them. If you can afford so many expensive items for your kids it increases their excitement threshold.

We need to always remember that our kids are one generation ahead of us and in every aspect, they are better than us and very soon we will be helpless in front of them.

Your teen is still growing and changing. What works for one teen may not work for another. Be patient and understanding, and be willing to adjust your approach as needed.

The amount of friendliness that is okay with teenage kids depends on the individual child and their relationship with you. Some teens are more comfortable with physical affection and closeness than others.

Photo by Elisa Triviño