PARENT/TEEN CONNECTION
As a parent of a teen, can you recall the stage when your child needed something from you ALL OF THE TIME?!? There was an intermittent request for snacks. As soon as you were done cleaning up one meal, it was time to prep the next food for your hungry kiddo.
You probably drove them to tons of activities, scheduled playdates, volunteered in the classroom, and a million other things! You were busy keeping up with their busy schedule.
THEY CONSTANTLY NEEDED YOU.
Remember when you wished you had just 5-10 minutes AWAY FROM THEM to regroup and have your own space? A time to recharge, hear your own thoughts and relax.
THAT TIME HAS ARRIVED.
Your teen needs you to do less for them. Their new found independence is empowering for your teen but might leave you in a bit of a whirlwind.
Your inner dialogue might sound like…
“Wait, they don’t NEED me to pack their lunch for school anymore?” Cool!
“Wait, they don’t NEED me to organize their social life any longer?” Okay.
“Wait, they don’t NEED me to keep them entertained when they get home from school/activities/etc?” Huh.
WHAT DO THEY NEED FROM ME THESE DAYS???
The answer is simple…
THEY NEED YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT.
Teenagers naturally begin to gain independence from their parents as they get older. It’s an important step towards adulthood. If you aren’t prepared for it, you can be left feeling a bit ignored, possibly confused and overall, less NEEDED.
Your teen is navigating their own needs and pressures: emotional, physical, social, academic. And they still need your love and support. It can be hard for your teen to figure out just HOW to connect with you when they have so many other things vying for their attention. Having their own space is very important to your teen as they figure out who they are and how they show up in the world.
During this holiday season, try connecting with your teen over some of the following activities:
- Family traditions (gathering for meals, holiday shopping, watching holiday movies together)
- Playing games that you enjoyed growing up (Yahtzee, Battleship, Uno)
- Baking and sharing with friends/family/neighbors
- Taking a neighborhood walk and talking about whatever is going on in your lives
These activities might only get you a short period of time with your teen, but remember, the roles are slowly changing. You might have wished for a break when your teen was younger, but now you have to enjoy whatever 5-10 minute snippet of time you can get to spend with them!
With Gratitude,
Coach Janene
Associate Coach
Teen Wise
P.S. Join our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/theparentinglab for more info and support
