Dealing with The Young: Being Part of Your Teen’s Life

Parenting TipsFor many parents, raising up a teenager can be one of the most difficult tasks to do. Dealing with the stage in life of rebelliousness and social anxiety even takes the pressure several notches higher.

Understanding the Situation

There are a lot of changes occurring physically and emotionally which affect the relationship between parent and child. So it's important to prepare for this stage in the life of your teenager and understand their current situation. There are several factors and a few suggestions to thwart or alleviate troublesome attitudes and activities of your teen:


Knowing the environment of your teen gives you a glimpse of what they're going through. Whether they're in a boarding school for boys, an exclusive school for girls, or a co-ed public school, all of these offer different social pressures for teens. A bustling city or a quiet suburban area influences his or her behavior directly or indirectly. 


Learning the trends in fashion, music, and pop culture bring you into their world. These are common sources of a teenager's identity: Clothes become an outward expression of the self and music may bring out thoughts hard to express. Understanding the latest trends in these areas helps you relate to your teen and engage with their interests.


Friendship is important for a lot of people. In the formative years, an identity is built on a community, which begins with the family and then outside of it. Like the environment, relationships affect your teen's mindset and attitude. It's crucial to know who your teenager is being friends with and their activity. 

Conclusion: Be a Part of His/Her Life

Encourage your teen to be part of a community, one that can build his or her confidence. These may include sports teams, music workshops, youth groups, and the like. The engagement in your teen's life begins when you're also around them. Drug use, poor choices in romantic/sexual relationships, or involvement in violent activity can be mere products of one's surroundings. Approach their lives with care, affection, and understanding so that, not only will they welcome strangers in theirs, but also you as well.