By. Anuradha
A strong parent-child relationship aids a lot in the development of a child. Many parents try to provide their best for their kids. They always make sure to fill their closets with toys, give them enough sweets and to buy them whatever they want. However, something that most modern parents fail to give their kids is their time. No matter whether you are a millionaire or a billionaire, you would always be a mother or a father to your kids. They build their understanding of you not from the material things you give them, but through the way you love them, be with them and spend your time with them.
Particularly, the teen years can be extra challenging as kids themselves are facing a lot of biological changes. If you do not help them, support them and be with them at the right time, a lot of things can go wrong in their lives and that is why we thought of sharing some tips that you can follow to help your teen’s mental health.
H/T: unicef.org
#1. Encourage them to share their feelings.
This can be a tough and challenging time for your kids. Sometimes, they might be reluctant to share how they feel with you if you try to be bossy and ignore them. So, always encourage them to share their feelings. You can easily invite them to do tasks like making dinner and having a little chat while you are engaged in the task. When you are friendly and inviting, they feel very open and relaxed with you and through this interaction you can get a better understanding about what is going on in your kid’s life.
#2. Take the time to support them.
Teenagers need their freedom. So, do not try to be manipulative and nosy. Let them have their time and when they feel the need to be with you, make them feel equally comfortable. You can help them reduce their stress by taking them out, going for a movie and if they find difficulties in academics, you can help them yourself or go for another option after consulting them. Always make sure that you value their opinion and let them feel that they are important too.
#3. Work through conflict together.
Sometimes, your kid might annoy the hell out of you. You will easily get pissed off due to the way they speak, dress or try to behave. But, each time take a deep breath and walk away. You can come back to resolve the situation when you are calm and in your proper senses. Do not try to preach your kids but converse with them like real adults. You need to let them know that you are also undergoing harsh situations and that you both need to understand and help each other out. When you give them enough authority, they naturally feel responsible and they try to act accordingly.
#4. Care for yourself.
One of the best ways to help your kids is by setting an example. So, take care of yourself first. If you feel that you are stressed and lack motivation for the day, try to find healthy coping mechanisms. When you handle your issues in the right way, your kids also learn by looking at you and that would help them to shape their lives for the better as well.
So, we hope that this article will be useful for you to handle your kids better. If you also have some parenting tips please feel free to share them with us and help others!
