Your charming daughter who until recently obeyed your words without
questioning is now responding with a sullen ‘yes’. Moreover, who until
now was watching a television show and chatting with a friend suddenly has to
complete her assignments and projects, the moment you ask for her help for
household chores. If you question her, has a much intensive
response. Do not despair. Rather acknowledge the fact that your
child has turned into a newly minted teenager. Parenting teenagers need to be
dealt smartly. Parenting style has to be carefully followed.
Just like you, she has her own priorities, her circle of friends, and
her demands in places. The ever-evolving technology, access to the
outside world is just a click away. In the process of making her
identity, each day, each moment and each instance she encounters challenges. As
a parent, it is important to acknowledge the fact that raising a teenage
daughter is not an easy task.
Here are five powerful tips for parenting teen daughters:
- Understand
their emotions: Understanding what is going on in the minds of
a teenage girl can help you predict her course of actions. It is now
when they hit their teen year, they think they are all grown up. In
their effort to find their identity and be independent, they undergo peer
pressures. Battling with the hormonal rush, they are struggling to
make their place in the family, among their friends. With the
changes in and around them, they are often under tremendous pressure.
Extreme mood swings is one of the biggest issue. Being a parent, you
need to be patient with your child. Rather than imposing the
rules and discipline, guiding and directing them, you have to give them a
chance to be responsible. Making them accountable empowers them. The
trust factor plays a major role here.
- Connect
with your teenager: Communication is the best way to be
connected. Spend time as much as possible conversing. Sharing your
daily events with them and planning your day taking them into the loop
gives a concrete base for transparency. Have a one to one time with
your daughter. Listen to them minutely. The more you spend
your time, talking and listening to them, they get closer to you.
Bonding with a mother is very important for a child as it is only a
mother, who is able to understand the feelings and emotions of her child.
- Make
them accountable and answerable: A teenager’s brain is in the
continuous process of development, grasping the world around, seeking out
new experiences. Always on the go, processing the information and
handling the situations, they tend to engage in risk taking actions.
Their battle continues until they are able to control their strong
feelings and sensitive emotions. Hence, it is important for a parent
to have a close watch and try channelising their high energy levels into
constructive ways.
- Give
your child some leeway: For a teen, it is their priorities, their
demands and their needs that come first in their exploratory world. Give
them reasonable independence and help them build their identity.
However, let the control be with you.
- Be a
role model: Through you, your child has understood the world.
You have always been their role model. They grew up admiring and imitating
you. They have reached the most crucial years of their life,
noticing your style of talking and acting. This sometimes can get
you on your nerves. Keeping your cool can come a long way. Following some simple tips can prove wonders
sometimes.
Working on the above points, you can easily navigate through tough times
of parenting along with helping your teenage child get through her rebellious
teen years.
