Teenage is the most important yet most delicate phase in the life of your child. It is at this stage that children have their first encounter with infatuations, love, sex and drugs. They struggle to get the answers to several questions flooding their mind and set out on the path of self discovery. This is where the conflicts begin- your teen believes that he or she is right while you argue that you alone are right.
A parent’s worst nightmare is dealing with a rebellious teen. And, the task usually falls on the shoulders of a mother. Arguing is not the solution as it makes matters worse. It will only drive your teen further away from you and compel him or her to hide more.
A better solution is to open up and address these sensitive issues with your teen. It is tricky, but you can definitely give it a try. Below is a guide on how to talk to your teenage about love.
1. Approach Your Teen, Make time to talk
You cannot suddenly go up to your teen and tell them “Okay today I am going to talk to you about this…” You have to start with building confidence. You have to project that you understand them and that you trust them.
In order to do this, first approach your kid. You may have a busy schedule, but try to make time to talk. This is the phase when your teen has to deal with immense pressures- there’s peer pressure, parental pressure and academic pressure. To add to this is the build-up of internal pressures- the curiosity, the desire to be perfect, the fear of the inability to live up to others expectations and so on. Occasional talks with your teen makes available a vent for the accumulating pressure. If you find something amiss, enquire about it. Maybe your child will open up with the confidence that his or her mother wants to know what is happening in my life.
