Trying to keep up with teenagers isn’t always easy – especially in this day and age. The better you understand your teenager, the easier it will be to parent them. Let’s look at some ways we can understand our teens better.

Parenting in 2024

Growing up can be tricky. The teenage years are filled with change in every aspect of life, including developmentally, socially, and academically. Not to mention the flood of hormones. And pressure to figure out their future as well as to fit in with their peers. Combined with social media and the curse of comparison, being a teen in Vaughan is hard!

Parents want to be there for their kids during this emotionally turbulent time. It is natural and common for parents and teens to butt heads. Have you ever wondered why this happens? And looking for ways to be there for your teens, even when everything you say and do seems to undoubtedly illicit an eye roll?

Change During The Teen Years

The teenage years are full of change, and it is important to be aware of the changes your teen may be going through. The hormonal imbalances during this time undoubtedly affect your teen’s mood, energy levels, and emotion regulation capabilities. Their social relationships begin to take priority. Suddenly, they are embarrassed to be seen with their parents in public and are barely looking up from their phones at the dinner table.

It is important to try and not to take this personally – teens are simply enveloped by their own social life or concerned about the lack thereof. The best thing to do during this time is to maintain a non-judgemental stance. Make it clear to them that they can talk to you about anything. Even if your teen refuses to divulge details to you, knowing that they have a listening ear or shoulder to cry on is enough.

To encourage this open line of communication, parents should limit how reactive they are when their teen misbehaves. Easier said than done, of course, but lashing out in anger over their actions isn’t going to make them feel like they can talk to you about difficult things. With teens already being so emotionally charged 24/7, it’s more productive to have a calm approach if the goal is to create a safe space for whatever they need.

Mistakes = Learning To Be Independent

As with any relationship, the parent-teenager one is constantly evolving. As a young girl, I remember butting heads with my mom all the time. Now, we look back at that time and laugh at what a typical teenager I was – always testing the boundaries. One point of contention between my mom and I, representative of many parent-teen relationships, is the discrepancy between the teenager’s need for independence and the parent’s difficulty with letting go. Watching your children grow into adults is hard, especially when you know how dangerous the world can be. However, making mistakes is a part of life and crucial to building character. The best way to help your teen is to provide a safe relationship for them to turn to when they have made mistakes and provide insight so they can learn going forward.

Being a teenager in today’s world is not easy. Parenting in 2024 is not easy too. Even with all the ups and downs of the teenage-parent relationship, we can strive to be there for each other. By maintaining an open and honest line of communication, limiting the intensity of our reactions and trying our best to be non-judgemental, we can provide a safe space for our teens to run to in times of emotional crisis rather than from.