What Do Teens Want from Their Parents? By Jan Pierce
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arents of teens often acknowledge they’re navigating uncharted territory and are open to advice from those who’ve gone before. Teens are going through tremendous emotional, physical and social changes while their parents may also be facing a series of firsts: aging, end of reproductive cycles, and mid-life crisis issues. The transitions faced by both teens and their parents can make for some challenging times at home.
TEENS NEED ROOM TO GROW AND CHANGE
Teens need to know they’re loved.
While they’ll resist “micro-managing”, they may be prone to taking risks that require intervention for their own safety. They want to stand on their own two feet and push parents further away as they turn to peers for advice. They may become resistant to family rules that used to be accepted and they can seem sullen and uncooperative. In short, parents look at their beloved child and barely recognize the sweet little person they were just a short while ago. On the other hand, teens are vibrant and have energy to burn. They can be very idealistic and full of plans to make the world a better place. They become passionate about causes and are very loyal to friends. They are in the process of developing the person they’ll eventually become as an adult and may explore many creative outlets in that effort. Teen-age years are dynamic times filled with joys and struggles. Parents have the responsibility to nurture them through these times. So….what do teens really want?
TO BELONG
Although friends, teachers and mentors will play a large role in your teen’s life, your family will always be their primary place of belonging. Home is where they’re
nurtured and loved and where they return after venturing out in the world. Home should always be a welcoming place. Building and maintaining a positive bond with teens is the goal. And though discipline will need to be part of family life, as much as possible make encouragement, positive words and camaraderie be the norm. Spend time together. Family meals, game nights and weekend outings may not come as often as they did before teen years, but they should still happen. Including teen friends in family events makes it more fun for all. Teens need to know that they always have a place of belonging in the family. Continued next page >>> October 2021 | BostonParentsPaper.com
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