Parenting a teenager is never an easy task. From first periods to mood changes, teens put a lot of stress on parents. The good part of this is that there are ways to manage these stresses, learn more about your teen, and connect with what your child is going though. After all, we were all once in their shoes. Teens go through so many different experiences and emotions - it is your job to be there for them through all of that.
When your teenager enters a relationship with a significant other, there will be various ups and downs as the new bond develops. Kids In The House expert, Gary A. Dorick, is a dad and attorney. In his video, Advice on handling teenage romance , he describes what parents should do when they know that one of their kids is involved in a romantic relationship for the first time.
He recommends encouraging your teen to bring their friends around the house so you can meet the people with whom your child is associating. If there are parts of the relationship that seem unhealthy, you should bring up the issue and see if your teen has noticed this as an issue yet. Remember not to be judgy, just discuss with them what you believe is essential to a healthy relationship. Make sure to ask them what kind of standards they have set for themselves and for what they expect their significant other to do, too.
First love is another tricky situation to handle in teen relationships. Psychologist and author, Edwin Locke, talks about the struggles associated with first loves in his video titled Teaching Children about Their First Love.
First loves can be traumatic for a number of reasons. First of all, managing expectations without any context is difficult for teens. Often, these loves are based on infatuation, meaning strong attraction to one trait. This might be a physical trait or even a status play. Because these singular traits are not based on the whole person, these relationships can have short durations.
One Kids In The House expert on the subject is Wendy Walsh, a relationship and parenting expert. In one of her videos, she explains the landscapes of teen dating for parents who might not familiar with today’s landscape. She breaks down what traits are important in boys for teen girls looking to date.
Overall, there are a plethora of bumps along the path as your teen begins dating but it is important to be supportive and ask questions that respect your teen’s privacy.
