Kids change with every stage but it gets tough to bond with them when they become teenagers. Communicating with them gets tougher. If you are also facing such a situation and finding ways to keep a strong bond with your teenager, then we have some tips that can help you with this. Read on to learn about the tips.
1. Listen and Observe
Pay close attention to what your kids say. They might speak fewer words, but their body language and gestures can speak a lot about them and their problems. So, read between the lines, and observe their tone and body language whenever they communicate.
Engage with them as much as you can, and ask them questions about what they have said. Don’t shut them down if you dislike or disagree with something. Keeping an open mind is a crucial step for developing a strong bond with teenagers and building trust.
2. Create Ways to Connect
As a child, you might have taken them to parks, play areas, and so on for bonding, then why not now? Look for ways to spend some time with your teenager. Be it going to movie halls, restaurants, gaming zones, nail salons, or anything else, just try to spend time with them regularly. Your teen will gradually count on these moments to reconnect.
3. Respect Your Teens Choices
Always respect your teen’s choices whether you like them or not. Remember, teen days are confusing for them too, they are still trying to figure things out, and trying to learn and understand new things, so respect their struggle and experiences. And never compare their struggle or experiences with yours, this will only create a rift between you both. Instead, treat them like young adults and praise them for their growing skills and maturity, so that your teenager feels that you respect their ability to navigate their world.
4. Be Supportive
Provide physical, and emotional support to your teens whenever required. Help them financially as well, if appropriate. Show your support by showing up for them in their graduation, plays, recitals, games, and all the other good moments and highlights of their teen days. Just be present for them. This will help your child understand that they can rely on you during their hard times. Tell them that you will always be there for them no matter how good or bad the situation is, you will never reject them.
5. Don’t Say Negative Comments
Teenagers are bound to make mistakes. Even you must have made mistakes in your teens. So, instead of passing harsh comments, or saying something negative, try to understand the cause and try to solve it together. Just back them up even if they are not asking. Positive reinforcement can do wonders in your relationship and if you can’t say something positive or nice, it’s better to say nothing at all.
Bonding with teenagers can be tough but these tips can make it easier for you to bond with your teenage kids. Have patience and give them their space, they will surely come around.
You can also read 5 Ways To Know If Your Child Is Being Bullied
