Teen Trauma

     I read an article many years ago that made a lot of sense to me. It said that when a child is young his/her parents are their whole lives, their role models but when the child is older their peers become their major influence.

Teens and even younger children very much want and need to fit in and be accepted by their peers. The best a parent can do is to make sure the child has a solid foundation at the start and has adopted the core value system that you have worked to instill in them. This is when your child may need extra attention and guidance from you so that if they do get in with the “wrong crowd” they won’t stray too far.

     Pushing your kid to avoid those troublemakers takes some tact and a gentle touch. If you push too hard it may only serve to drive your teen closer to what you want them to stay away from. Remember that children will continually test the boundaries that you set and the older they are the more room you need to give them. It’s like a fence around your kid. You will need to expand the area inside the fence, while making sure that your child knows that there is a fence there that you will not allow them to cross, and moreover they need to know that you are forever at that gate to watch. As most of us parents know it’s not an easy job and there are never any days off!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS