It’s a LOT of roles.
An authority to your child and a supporter of their independence. Kind but firm. An advocate for their success while also holding them responsible for their choices. Plus, when things are bad, you are still expected to take the high road and be a role model, even when you are ready to pull your hair out.
When it’s good, there is nothing more rewarding. When it’s bad, there are few things more painful.
Your child has to be responsible for their actions. But when they make bad choices, there is always the fear of judgment
“a bad kid, must have bad parents.” It’s hard to reach out, and easy to put up a wall to protect yourself.
Plus, every day is a struggle for you, the parents, and your child.
Don’t leave it to chance.
Doing the best you can right now. Giving everything you’ve got. The problem is that motivation and effort are limited if they are going into an approach that isn’t working.
Parenting is an ever-evolving journey. What works for a toddler doesn’t work for a ten-year-old, and what works for a ten-year-old doesn’t work for a teenager.
Some teenagers fall into bad situations without the right guidance and support. Drug abuse, pregnancy, suicide – these are all real outcomes for some teens. Others just struggle through the teen years, and some leave home with a desire to cut themselves off from the family completely.
Parents help protect against these outcomes, if they have an approach that works for teenagers. However, teenagers are in the move between childhood and adulthood and that makes this a time unlike any previous one.
If you are struggling, it isn’t because you are a bad parent. It’s because this age is a time when major changes happen in a child that require significant changes in parenting for it to be effective.
Grow as a parent and as a family
For all the struggles, the teenage years are also exciting. When you find the approach that works with a teen, you get to watch them grow into a more responsible and independent person. And you can recognize that you played a role in the transformation. You get to see your child enter the adult years with the strength to thrive.
You have the motivation to make this happen. I will work with you to channel that motivation with a deepening understanding of what works in parenting teenagers. I will share with you what current
research has found about how to parent teens in a way that cuts through the arguments while also supporting the growth of your child.
Call me for a free phone consultation and learn more about how I can help you to help your child and family grow together.
