CALM PARENTING IS NEEDED DURING THE STORM OF ADOLESCENCE.
To
put it simply, adolescence is a defining phase that takes your kid from childhood
to adulthood. It is during this phase that your son or daughter starts bonding
with peers, experimenting with new beliefs, trying various styles, falling in
love for the first time, figuring out what he or she wants to be, exploring
different ideas and dreaming of a fascinating future. While all these happen,
it is only natural to expect a sea change in your child’s behavior. And how you
react to it as a parent will determine how your child emerges from the
adolescence stage.
First
of all, it is important for you to stay calm. Please realize that your child
cannot remain as that cute, dear, innocent angel forever. There is an exciting
world out there, and your child is getting ready for it. Just accept
adolescence as a biological, a psychological and emotional transformation that
lays the platform for your child’s adulthood. As a parent this awareness will
give you practical solutions for handling your child’s raging passions during
adolescence.
How
open your child is to you depends on how open you are as a parent. You might
consider yourself to be a friendly and an understanding parent. You might think
that your child is sharing everything with you. But, in all probabilities, your
child is telling you only what you are
happy to hear, and not what he / she really feels. Well, you need to be a
friendly parent for your child to be truthful to you. It is from your reactions
to their feelings that they decide to share true lies or the truth alone.
The
beginning of parental wisdom is ‘listening’. Do not build a wall between you
and your child by denying the freedom of expression. Acknowledge what your
child wants to say, and that will encourage your child to be more transparent
to you. Instead of criticism, use guidance. State the problem, not the person. When
angry, use ‘I’ and not ‘You’. For instance, ‘I like a clean room’ works better
than ‘You have messed up your room’. Likewise, praise specific acts and efforts
of your child without evaluating character traits.
And
always remember that your composure will make a huge difference in shaping your
child’s adolescence.
AGAM
ParentSpace
www.agamwellness.com
Be.
Do. Have