Most parent's main goal is to make sure that their teenager develops into a responsible member of society who is prepared to enter the real world when the time comes. In today's environment, that can be a challenge, but it's a goal that is definitely achievable. In fact, as a parent, you have the ability to teach, influence, and shape the adult that your teen grows up to be! In this article, we are going to cover several tips that will help teach your children to grow into the responsible adults every parent wants their child to be!
1. Teach Goal Setting
It's important that as your teen grows up, they develop their own passions, ambitions, and goals that they are working towards. Talk to your teen about what they want to achieve over the next 5 years and where they see themselves in the future. Ask them questions about what they want to be doing with their life and how they plan on getting there. Then offer collaborative insight and advice on some ways they can achieve what they are setting out to accomplish.
2. Teach Emotion Control
Emotions can be tough to manage - even for adults sometimes. It's often a topic that teenagers have trouble with. This makes sense since they are dealing with school, sports, teachers, peers, social media, their lives at home, and on top of that going through lots of hormonal changes. By teaching them to help deal with their emotions in a health way, you can help prepare them for the emotionally challenging events that they are likely to experience over the next 5 years. A talk therapist can help give you tips and strategies you can use to teach your child the best way to manage their emotions.
3. Stop The Financial Support
Don't give your teen money every time they ask for it. By giving them money whenever they need it, you are not teaching them financial responsibility. Obviously as a parent, you'll help provide their basic needs, but they should be purchasing any pleasure items themselves. If you're teen has a job, help them set up a bank account and auto transfer some savings each pay period. If you're teen does not have a job, encourage them to get one! Start teaching your teenager about money now so that they are prepared to handle it in the future. Some great conversation ideas around money can be; How to create a budget, how to invest, and how to save money.
4. Give Them Problems To Solve
Often times teens will come to their parents looking for quick answers to their problems. Your job is to teach them how to learn how to manage themselves, so the best thing that you can do is encourage them to come up with the solutions to their own problems. As difficult as it might be to watch, you might be surprised at what they come up with!
5. Encourage Them To Believe In Themselves
Teach your children to be independent thinkers. Help them see their own value and to trust themselves when making decisions. Each decision that they make independently will allow them to learn and make better decisions in the future.
6. Get Them A Credit Card
One of the best ways to teach fiscal responsibility is to get your teen a credit card. Their limit will likely be low, so if they run it up, let them take responsibility for it. Aside from giving them some financial control, you'll also start building their credit early which will help them get loans for school, cars, or houses in the future.
7. Encourage Them To Get A Job
School primarily teaches academics, jobs teach skills. At a job, not only will they learn how to manage money, but they'll also learn a ton of useful life skills like how to communicate with customers, how to deal with conflict, and how to conduct themselves appropriately in any situation.
8. Have An Open Door Policy
By keeping an open dialog with your kids and leaving the door open for them to come to you for help, it will prevent them from hiding things from you. If you're kid has a problem and they know that you will help them and work together in a non judgmental way, they won't hesitate to come to you for help.
9. Stop Bailing Them Out
If your teen gets into trouble, then make them own up to it and decide how they are going to deal with the ramifications. Yes, they may end up needing your help, but you won't always be around to help get them out of trouble. Now is the time where they need to use these experiences to learn.
10. Set A Good Example
If you are doing none of the above things yourself, how can you expect your teen to become a responsible adult? When kids have a great example like you, they are going to have a great head start in life and build a wonderful future.