Inside: How Parents Can Look After the Well-Being of Teenagers. Guest post.
Dealing with a teenager can be challenging for any parent, given all the mood swings, endless arguments, and risk-taking behaviours. While this is a normal part of development, not giving enough attention to your teens could wreak havoc on their mental health.
Supporting teens’ mental health is a crucial but challenging role that parents play. So, here’s how parents can look after the well-being of teenagers.
- Discuss Emotional Resilience
When looking after the well-being of your teens, you must teach them about emotional resilience, which refers to the ability to respond or adapt to stressful circumstances and bounce back after difficult times. Talk about embracing things you cannot change and thriving despite the situations.
Tell your child that being resilient also means learning from difficult situations and coming out stronger than before.
You can teach your teens some ways to improve their emotional resilience. When a problem arises, teach your child to get a broader view of things. It could mean asking yourself how you feel about these things after a week or a month.
Approaching problems this way can help your teens get a perspective on how much they should let these problems bother them.
Another way to develop emotional resilience is by practising positivity. Teach your child that each of us is stronger than we are aware of, so even if they feel like they cannot carry on, encourage them to appreciate how strong they can be. Remind them that their strength can help them get through these challenges soon.
- Look out for Signs of Vulnerability
As parents, you must be on the lookout for any signs of vulnerability in your teens. And once you notice these signs, do not ever ignore them. Usually, these include losing interest in things they used to enjoy, depressive mood, and getting angry often.
In most cases, these things are just a normal part of adolescence. However, if these happen too often, you must do something about it.
Some red flags you should not ignore include a sudden change in the peer group, going out with people who encourage negative behaviour, refusing to follow reasonable rules and boundaries, and avoiding consequences through lying. In addition, if your teen spends too much time alone, that could indicate problems.
Depression often comes with lethargy and hopelessness. Sometimes, your teens may appear happy but reluctant to spend time with friends o family. It requires enough strength to go on with life when there’s depression.
Your teens may put on a happy face to mask their feelings, but their withdrawal could indicate symptoms of depression.
- Practice Understanding Young Minds
You can refer to free courses online that will give an idea of how to look out for signs of vulnerability in your teens. These courses also help you understand how teenagers think. Remember that teens decide how they feel about themselves based on how their parents react to them.
Therefore, you must help your kids feel good about themselves by building their confidence and self-esteem. Be specific when praising them. Tell them exactly why you are proud of them.
Teens see things as they seem. Unlike adults, they would not imagine themselves far into the future or foresee how their actions can result in negative consequences. Teens tend to think about how things could affect them now.
Your teens cannot see the complexity of situations or underlying problems. Their young minds cannot read the motives of people. For them, people are good or bad depending on how nice they seem or what their peers say about them. It is called “concrete thinking,” where they see things exactly as they seem.
Because of this, they can be easily manipulated. As parents, you must carefully watch and protect them from people who will take advantage of their vulnerability.
- Encourage Open Communication
Despite your child’s indifference or anger towards you, know that teens still crave attention, approval, love and acceptance from you. Therefore, you must have an open line of communication with your teens. Communicating your love for your kids is one of the most important things you can do to help them cope with their teenage years.
Parents must also communicate their values with their kids. Set limits and expectations, which may include practising respect for others, honesty, and self-control at all times. In the same way, give your teens space to express themselves and become what they want to be.
Some parents tend to notice only the problems in their teens and often have the habit of giving criticism and negative feedback at all times. While it’s okay to provide feedback, your teens will be able to respond well to positive feedback.
Try to praise them for something good they have done, which helps improve their confidence and gives them a sense of accomplishment while reinforcing family values. Establishing a loving relationship with your teens can help your child overcome the challenges of the teenage years.
- Show that you Support Them
When you notice signs that your teens are struggling, the best thing you can do as parents is to provide the support they need. Encourage your teens to open up to you. Make sure you listen well and avoid reacting negatively.
Instead, help them understand their feelings. Show them unconditional love and maintain routines that can help them feel secure.
Work with your teens and establish new routines and goals to achieve daily. Try to fit home chores around school work or set a target, such as finishing things before dinner.
When your kids become teenagers, they will start to practice independence. When it comes to this, give your teens the appropriate space and time to be their own. Needing space is part of growing up.
Still, look for ways to support your teens. Encourage them to take breaks from schoolwork and other responsibilities to do things they love. If they feel frustrated, work with them to brainstorm the best approaches to solving their problems. But when doing so, avoid taking over or forcing things on them.