I came across an article on the Internet offering teen advice that I found very effective and wished to share with you.
11 Tips to Help Your Teenagers Navigate Early Adulthood
Tip 1
Take your time
You will grow up fast enough without trying to rush the process.
tip 2
Don’t try to plan your entire life out
Do not get stressed about trying to plan out your school year, classes and your entire life. Tomorrow will be another day.
Tip 3
Friends will come and friends will go
All teens overestimate the power of their friendships and every loss is powerfully negative in their lives. Remind them to invest time and energy in maintaining healthy friendships and you, as a parent, need to know who their friends are and who their parents are.
tip 4
Everyone will define “cool” differently, and the definition will change every day
They need not try to be anything that they are not, as this will increase their stress level.
tip 5
“No” is not a bad word
Teens are going to be introduced to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and sex. They will feel pressure to say yes to a lot of things. Empower them to say “no” to bad decisions—without feeling awkward or guilty. Freedom of expression is so important here and succumbing to peer pressure is not always the best way to learn your mistakes.
tip 6
Remind them that all teens are anxious about grades, homework, parents, friends, and college
They will get through these phases, but the tools to deal with stress can benefit them for a lifetime.
tip 7
Remind your teen that it is OK to ask for help
Emotional support can be so important, and your teen may feel isolated in their daily stress. We do not want any teen feeling that the world would be better off without them. We also don’t want a teen feeling that they have disappointed their parents.
tip 8
Remain open-minded to different points of view than your own
Your teen needs to be reminded that they may have other points of view than you or their friends, and this is perfectly normal.
tip 9
Trust your gut
Both you and your teen have a moral compass that needs to be rewound and rebooted from time to time.
tip 10
Everyone’s views may change over time
Yours did! Remind them that it is OK to change their mind from time to time.
tip 11
You need to have the “money talk” with your teen
Teach them that a well-rounded person focuses on many aspects of life and money and wealth are just a part of this. There are many unhappy wealthy people, many unhappy poor people and lots of folks’ in-between who have found happiness. Happiness is ultimately self-defined. So, give them the tools to define and discover happiness for years to come.
As Winston Churchill so eloquently stated eighty years ago, “One must survive one’s upbringing.”
All my best,
Elliot Kallen
