Parenting Teens - August 25, 2012

Day 9 - Home - A Place to Learn Good Relationships

Home is a place where teenagers learn how to build healthy relationships.

• Teenagers learn to relate through observing adult relationships • If parenting together, invest in your relationship (take our marriage course!) • If parenting on your own, build the best relationship you can with the other parent, when possible • Nurture other adult friendships • Mealtimes together – teenagers learn to talk, listen, debate issues, and respect others’ views • Regular family time – having fun together ias a family helps build relationships between parents and children and between siblings (consider having a weekly “family night”)

Question:
How can you intentionally model healthy relationships with others in your life, for your teenager to learn from?

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From Series: "Parenting Teenagers"

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We look at the role of reflecting back, responding appropriately and taking a long-term view in healthy communications.7. Reflect back what they have said

  • say back to them what you think they are trying to express, particularly their feelings use some of their own words and phrases

8. Respond appropriately

  • give guidance and reassurance
  • they are likely to remember our words for years to come

9. Take a long-term view

  • sometimes any meaningful communicationwith teenagers can be a big struggle
  • difficulties are usually the result of a phase they’re going through
  • try to create the conditions for conversation to become easier, at mealtimes; spending time with them doing what they enjoy; using their love language
  • if worried, seek professional help and/or medical support

Role play with another adult.  Have them share a typical teenage problem with you, and reflect back what they’ve said.  Go back and forth for a few minutes, then switch.  What was easy or hard about this?