6 Parenting Tips You Wish You Knew When Your Kids Were Teens

Your kids are all grown up now. Here’s some advice for the parents out there who are entering—or already experiencing—the teen years with their kids.

Be Respectful

We ask our kids to respect us as parents, but we can easily forget to respect them back. Treat your children with the same respect you would your friends or colleagues and they will be more willing to give you respect back.

Have Fun

Just because your teen gets embarrassed when their friends are around, doesn’t mean they don’t want to hang out with their parents at all. Make your home a fun and open space—such as starting a family ritual such as games or movie night.

Trust Their Judgement in Friends

Teens meet a lot of new people and make a lot of new friends during this time of their life. Because of this, parents can be quick to judge some of their kids’ new amigos. Initially trust your kids’ judgement in their group of friends. If you’re really concerned about their new group of friends, ask what kind of activities they do together, or what your teen likes about their new buddies.

Dish Out the Compliments

Let your teen know they are special and talented. Compliment them on a job well done or give positive reinforcement if they are having a bad day. Your encouragement will boost their confidence and let them know you are there to support them.

Explain Punishments

We often punish our teens in the heat of the moment but it is important to hand out fair and explainable punishments. Let your teen know why they’ve been grounded or had certain privileges taken away, but try to not make it a blame game.

Just Be

Sometimes it’s nice to spend time with your teen without talking about serious issues or their schoolwork. Enjoy each other’s company and don’t put any pressure on the situation.