Everyday, the world moves a step ahead to get more and more digitalized than ever before. Some parents have said that handling a teenage child is more difficult since the inception of social media and other digital devices. There is no doubting the fact that the teenage mind moves as fast as digitalization itself while picking both the negative and positives of a moving world.
In the same vein, parents have grown too busy to attend to the needs of there children and so are most of the times unaware of happenings in their children’s lives that are capable of steering them towards depression. This has become an issue of concern to most parents as they seek for suitable methods to instill character and discipline in their teenagers.
Below are seven facts every should understand about their teenage children in a digitalized world.
- Communication is vital but it could become a burden, so learn to do it at their own time: Oftentimes teenagers want to be left alone to brood on some issues that they feel unable to let out. As a mother, it is essential that you study your child to know what suitable time to talk about anything. Doing this at their own time will stir the mood to pour out their problems to you.
- Be faster than they are: being a mother is good but becoming a role model is better. Becoming the person they admire and look up to means putting them by your side and you will never lose sight of them. Be the first to see that movie you know they will love and introduce it to them. Help them learn to play a new game and try to make them learn from you, nothing will be hidden from you because they see you as a friend, not just a mother.
- Be involved in their social life: a number of parents get it all wrong as it concerns what their children should be engaged in socially. Some parents are so rigid that they encroach on the privacy of their teenage children. The truth is teenage children really want to be left alone to figure out their lives but at the same time, need the subtle guardians of parents. For example, your teenage daughter or son bring their friends home for a visit, as a mother, it is not the appropriate time to start interrupting in their conversations, trust me, you will never know what might be going on behind you immediately you take your leave. But you could let them be and take your time out to study their movement, talk about each friend that comes to visit and make them understand that you love their friends. You could say “oh Janet I really love your friend’s skirts it sure looks good on her, don’t you think you should get one?” doing this will allow them to give you a hint of the conversation without you asking.
- Be the first to introduce sex education to your teenagers: many parents and moms especially still do not know the benefit of this decision while others haven’t considered it as unnecessary but the truth remains that the earlier they are aware of this the better for the both of you. Also, it is safer to hear it from you. Tell them everything they are supposed to know. The good and the bad, the advantage and the dangers that are tied to it, this will help them to know wrong knowledge when they detect one and encourage them to abstain and play safe in due time.
- Encourage them: let your children grow to understand that he or she is not disadvantaged, create an ideal thought about their image through your words. Encourage them to know that they can do better, don’t ever talk them down or kill their self-esteem because it makes them lose control. They may then get carried away with activities of negative company where they feel accepted.
- “You are Grounded” may not be a perfect idea: what your teenager does when they are alone is very important so grounding them may not always be the best solution as this maya cause them to withdraw from you. If you must use this method, also create time to extensively discuss the situation and be sure the child understands that you mean no harm. This way you will also be able to ascertain your child’s pain points.
- Respect their feelings and choices: they are young adults so they have the feeling that they should not be tossed about. In order to handle this, you can make them feel matured by giving tasks that reveal a sense of responsibility. This way they will grow with a do-it-right mentality and do things the right way even when you are not watching.
