Who said raising teens was easy? I don’t know about you, but I always thought things would get easier as my kids got older. But once they reached puberty, parenting became a whole new playing field.
Raising teens means your people skills need to be on point. Empathy, mindful communications, patience—all are essential for guiding your soon-to-be adult.
Below is a graphic guide on how to raise healthy teens.
#1: Don’t ever pass over an opportunity for connection with your teen.
Quote: No matter what kind of day you had today, if your teen comes to you and wants to talk or hang out, drop everything and do it. Don’t miss a golden opportunity to connect on their terms. – Raising Teens Today
#2: Let your teen talk and really listen.
Quote: Take the time to listen to your teenager, no matter how emotional or ridiculous their statements sound to you. When someone doesn’t feel valued or heard, their desire to participate in a relationship disappears. – Parenting Teens & Tweens
#3: Sometimes, your teen doesn’t want you to fix anything. They just want to be heard.
Quote: Sometimes, when our teens open up to us, they are not looking for us to fix their problems. They are just looking for a safe place to share their pain. – Parenting Tweens & Teens
#4: Don’t meet your teen’s aggression with aggression. Squash it with good communication, empathy, and kindness.
Quote: The louder your teen gets, the quieter you should be. The angrier your teen becomes, the gentler you should become. The meaner your teen behaves, the kinder you should be. – Eva Rito
#5: Read between the lines and look for the communication behind the behavior.
Quote: I knew I was finally becoming the kind of parent my teen needed when I stopped taking everything they said personally and started becoming compassionately curious about what they were really trying to communicate. – Raising Teens Today
#6: Sometimes, natural consequences are the best teacher. No lectures are needed.
Quote: When my child has made a poor decision that has led to a painful lesson, the last thing they need is a side of belittlement and condescension from me. – Raising Teens Today
#7: Your teen will learn to navigate relationships based on the one they have with you. Teach them healthy conflict resolution skills.
Quote: Setting an example for healthy conflict resolution skills and modeling forgiveness is better than never having conflict. – Inspired by Sarah Boyd
#8: Your teen needs unconditional love and acceptance.
Quote: Most teens need love and acceptance a lot more than they need advice. – Bob Goff
#9: Help them develop a healthy sense of confidence.
Quote: Nothing can shake our teen’s confidence more than being fed the notion that something’s wrong with them simply because they don’t measure up in our eyes. – Raising Teens Today
#10: EQ is critical! Foster it in your teen! Studies show that emotional intelligence is one of the single most significant contributing factors to success in adulthood.
Quote: If a child can do advanced math, speak three languages, and receive top grades, but can’t manage their emotions, practice conflict resolution, or handle stress—no amount of education is going to matter. – Unknown
#11: Mistakes are part of the learning process. Don’t make your teen’s acceptance conditional on achievement.
Quote: Children who are too obsessed with perfection can become hard on themselves, have unreachable expectations, and avoid challenges. Work with them to develop a healthier attitude about achievement. – Benjamin Mizrahi
#12: Your teen needs to know that nothing will make you love them anymore or less.
Quote: Teenagers long to know that there’s nothing they can do to make us love them more, and there’s nothing they can do to make us love them less. – Mark Gregston
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