This is a collab post: The teenage years are possibly some of the most difficult for both children and their parents. They will need help navigating through changes and difficult emotions so you will need to be there to offer support and guidance. It’s a strange one as they may think that they are old enough to make their own decisions and do things for themselves but they are still children and your responsibility until they turn 18. If you would like parenting tips on how to raise a respectful teenager, keep reading as we have some below from a sixth form college in Hertfordshire.
Parenting Classes
Parenting classes are always a good idea. Whether they’re your first teenager or you’ve parented several others, the world around us is always changing and the issues that children deal with. Doing some learning around discipline, respect and issues like mental health will give you a far better understanding of what your child is up against and help you in being there for them.
Set A Good Example
The way that you behave sets the standard for how they are allowed to behave as children look up to their parents as role models. The language that you use and the way that you treat others (including your child) are all things that they will pick up on which is why it’s important that you are courteous and refrain from using profanity, especially when in their presence.
Social Circles
The saying is true that it takes a village to raise a child and those around them can have an influence upon how they think and the behaviours that they display. Aside from you, think about the circles that they’re in, their friends and family. It’s important to know who they are friends with and for children to be able to identify what a good and bad circle looks like.
Respect
While they may have physically grown and be more capable, it’s important that boundaries are still in place. They aren’t yet an adult and neither are they a young child so you will need to give them some freedom while also keeping a close eye. You can do this by creating rules that you both agree on which will help you in respecting and understanding one another. In turn, you will have a better relationship with your child and they will feel more comfortable with approaching you.
These are just some of the ways that you can raise a respectful teenager. Of course, it’s important that they have good manners and can communicate with others respectfully and a large part of that is acknowledging others and their feelings. That’s something that you can work on by encouraging them to think about their words/actions and how they may make those around them feel.
If you found this post helpful and would like access to more parenting resources like this, feel free to have a read of our other blog posts. We have a whole range of topics that we cover from ways of exploring STEM to ones more like this and fostering healthy behaviours.