Parenting My Teen

We have found some tips on parenting teenagers that are very helpful. Signs of  teen depression can at times seem almost as normal teen behavior. Here is a great article that may be help you determine if your teen is depressed.

Today, more than ever, teens are faced with peer pressure, divorce, low self-esteem, and other life experiences which can impact their emotional well-being. Does your teen suffer from depression? It can be tricky to pin-point teen depression symptoms but here are some of the Signs of Teen depression –

Does your teen have a tendency to sleep late on school days? Do you have trouble getting them out of bed to go to school? Are they not eating properly? Are they spending a great deal of time in their rooms with the music blasting? Is the music foreboding? Are there dark and disturbing posters hung in your teen’s room? Does your teen seem listless and moody? Has your teen become isolated from friends and family members? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may have a teen who is suffering from depression.

Most teenagers become moody; it’s a fact of life. But when the moodiness turns to depression, it is more serious and requires intervention. Talk to your child. Try to determine the cause. If your child is not yet ready to discuss the problem, let him or her know you are always there for them; that they can rely on you to listen without passing judgment. Give them time to form the words to express their feelings. Sometimes, the only way a teen can express their emotions is through anger. Be aware of this, and try to take the edge off by using comforting and safe words. Above all, don’t lecture the teen or issue an ultimatum. Don’t change the subject; their pain is real – acknowledge it.

One of the issues teens face is not living up to your standards. Assure them they are loved despite everything. Tell them there is nothing in this world that could change the way you feel about them. Allow them the room to open up to you; then when they do, ensure it is safe for them to say anything, reveal anything. Do not discuss how you feel. This will just alienate the teen. It isn’t about you; it is about what your teen is going through.

When all else fails, and you are concerned about your teen might take his depression a step further, a visit to a therapist or psychologist is necessary. It can be a scary time for you, but remember this depression is not about you. Don’t lay a guilt trip on your teen by saying, “What did I do wrong!” Be supportive, compassionate, understanding; most of all listen. Really listen.

As you can see, there are many signs of teen depression. It is very important to keep the lines of communication between you and your teen open.

Related Resource:

Real Life Guidance Guide to Understanding Your Teen This toolkit offers parenting help and help solve the mysteries in understanding your teen.

Visit Out of Control Teen to learn more about how you can help a teen that shows signs of trouble.

Do you remember when you were in school?  You could hardly wait for the school year to end and summer vacation to begin.  The closer a new school year came, the more you had back to school blues.   Now it seems as if the summer months fly by and the summer break seems to get shorter and shorter.   Your children probably feel the same way as the new school year is drawing near.

What can parents do to help with their children’s back to school blues?  Here are some ideas of how to help your child prepare for the new school year that’s just around the corner.

1.  A couple of weeks before school starts, begin to get them back on a “school night” schedule.  Whatever schedule works for your family (in bed by 8 p.m. and up by 7 a.m., in bed by 9 p.m. and up by 7 a.m., etc.), begin to implement it in increments to get them used to going to bed earlier and getting up earlier for the school day.

2.  Listen to your child’s concerns.  Think about how you felt when you had to return to school.  Acknowledge their fears when they first happen; don’t push them aside.  Then talk things over with your child; tell them a story about when you were a child in the same situation.

3.  If you’re allowed, go to the school a couple of days or weeks before school starts.  Take your child on a tour of the different classrooms or areas in the school that they’ll spend time in.  Meet the teacher if they’re available.  Be sure to take them by the lunchroom, library, office, school nurse’s office (if there is one), and most importantly, the restrooms.

4.  Have a “dry run” for getting ready each day for a few days before the first day of school.  Plan to set everything out the night before just as they will be during the school year, and then have your child get dressed and ready to leave to see how things will work.  This will also allow you to see if there are some areas of the morning routine that need to be tweaked to work better.

5.  Create a special place for your child to do homework and leave their backpack so needed items are less likely to be lost.  You may want to create a routine where you go through your child’s backpack with them each night, gathering any papers that need to be signed, assignments they need to do, and jot down any important dates on the family calendar.

6.  Have a back to school blues-buster party.  The night before school starts, plan a special meal, watch a favorite movie on DVD, and plan a back to school blues-buster dessert.  Choose whatever will cheer up your child and give them a good feeling about the first day of school.

Your child is not the only one in the world to deal with back to school blues.  It helps to talk things over, be prepared, and then celebrate the new beginning.  You might find that you’re able to handle your own back to school blues better, too.

Also be sure to grab your copy of Real Life Guidance to Helping Your Teen With High School.  This offers parenting help and shows you how to help your teen deal with the pressures of high school and also help them to be more independent!

It’s hard to believe graduation is already here. More than likely, it feels like just yesterday you had to take your child to kindergarten for the first time. It’s amazing how fast time flies for parents isn’t it? Now your teen has completed high-school and is about to embark on a journey of his own…and you’re left with an empty nest. What are you going to do now? Below are several ideas of new and exciting things for you to try.

Learn Something New: As parents, there are many things that get put on hold as we are trying to raise our kids. This includes exploring new interests. However, once your teen graduates high-school and moves out, you’ll find that you have a lot of extra time on your hands. This is the perfect time to explore those interests that got put on the back burner all those years ago. Take the time to visit the library and check out a book or sign up for a class to learn more about a particular topic.

Go on Trips: Now that your teen is out of the house, you have the extra time and money to go on trips. If you have always wanted to go on a cruise, then book it! Perhaps, you’ve always wanted to take a weekend road trip, but your weekends were consumed with attending your teen’s sporting events or other extracurricular activities. Well, now you can take that weekend road trip and not worry about a thing!

Have Date Nights: Many parents get so consumed with their child’s life and all the activities going on with that child that they forget to take time out for themselves. Then, once their last teenager walks across the stage at graduation, they suddenly panic because they don’t think they have anything in common with their spouse. Use this time to reconnect with your significant other and go out on regular date nights once a week. You’ll find it refreshing and fun getting to know each other again.

Pamper Yourself: Over the past 18 years, the majority of your money has went to your child whether it was for food, clothing or extracurricular activities. You’ve made a lot of sacrifices and now your teen has graduated high-school and is off to college. Now, it’s your turn to pamper yourself. Go get a massage once a week if you want or buy that new outfit you’ve been wanting.

While your teen’s graduation night will seem bittersweet, it is also a time to celebrate as you successfully raised your child into adulthood. Now, do some of the things you’ve always wanted to do. And, do them without regret!

Here is a guest post from Linda Montgomery all about how to help with teen texting acciction.

Are you struggling with a teen that can’t stop texting? Have you been feeling frustrated and angry with yourself because you can’t make them stop – no matter what you say or do?

If your answer is “yes” then I’m sorry you’re going through this – I know exactly how you feel because I personally went through the same agony of teen texting addiction not that long ago.

I had a two year long standoff with my daughter over her texting until I finally found a way to help her stop, and it feels so good to have my happy, healthy, normal daughter back!

What you’re about to read is the most powerful system that has ever been created for helping your teen kick the texting habit once and for all. Although text and cell phone addiction rates are increasing, most people don’t know how to cope – and most don’t even know this system exists.?

CLICK HERE for more information on how to help your teen with their Texting Addiction.

I Finally Found The Answer!

I even interviewed psychologists and counselors! I tried everything they told me but the arguments were still happening, the tense atmosphere around the house was still there almost all the time, and life was difficult… until I met who I call “The Rebel Counselor”.

He didn’t approach his job like most of his colleagues. He pushes the boundaries of counseling and suggested I try something completely out of the ordinary… something so clever – yet so simple – that I drove home and starting trying it right away. After 2 years of having a “zombie” daughter, what did I have to lose?

In less than 2 weeks of trying his methods, my daughter’s texting slowed down by at least 50% – and within one month she was what I would consider “back to normal.”

For more information on how to deal with a teen texting addiction CLICK HERE!

Think back and remember how your son was when he was a little boy.  Sticky kisses and muddy hands were to be expected. Now maybe your teenage son barely talks with you.  You may feel you need help raising a teenage son in today’s world.

Even though your child used to look up to you, which is expected, now they look to their friends for support and a sense of importance.  No matter how distant they may be, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open with your teenage son.  You also want to set boundaries and have expectations of them while they’re still in your home.

It’s quite likely that you’ll butt heads over everything with your teenage son.  Your son is growing up, and hopefully maturing along the way.  He has to try to exert his independence as he finds his way in the world.  It’s something every teenage son does, and has done throughout history, as he tries to become a man.

The most important thing to remember is that you don’t want to alienate your teenage son while he’s learning about himself and his place in the world.  Learn to trust your parenting skills and to trust your son’s decision-making skills.  While he’s living in your home, however, you’ll want to keep curfews and house rules intact; continue to expect him to follow those rules.

Expect your teenager to change as he grows and matures.  Learn to adjust to those changes as much as possible.  He is growing in many ways – emotionally, physically, and mentally.  Begin to gradually let go as he pushes against the barriers you have placed around him to keep him safe.  Loosen your grip on him by allowing him to stay out later during the weekend but continue to expect him to do his schoolwork and do it well.

Stay involved in his life as much as possible.  He’ll try to push you aside and he’ll rebel, which is also to be expected, but you need to remain firm with your expectations of him.  Give him more responsibility and opportunities to prove to you that he is trustworthy.  Praise him for the things he does right and do so in front of his friends, if possible.

Think back to what you thought and felt as a teenager.  Even if you weren’t a boy, you can still remember the things that your parents did that drove you crazy.  Try to put yourself back in that place and then think of how you would have liked your parents to react to you.  Try to be understanding of what your teenager is going through based on that.

Do things together.  Participating with him in things he enjoys may help him open up and let you in.  Take him to a concert by his favorite band – just remember to bring the earplugs.  If he’s involved in sports at school, do everything you can to be at his games.

You may feel like you’re losing your teenage son, but if you tell them that you love them it can make a big difference.  You know raising a teenage son in today’s world isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible.  More than anything else, they need to know that you love them and that you’ll always be there for them, no matter what.

Teen Got You Frazzled? Click here for real guidance right now.