Life can be tough coping with the mood swings of a teenager, so we're here to help with our 7 top tips for living with teenagers.
Parenting a teen can be challenging to the say the least.
The hormones, the mood swings, the attitude can all lead to frustrated parents, angry kids, and an unhappy home.
But it doesn't need to be this way with these tips on how to create a harmonious family life.
7 top tips for living with teenagers
- Allow them privacy and down time when they need it as teens have a lot going on in their lives and need some me time.
- If your teen persistently comes home late, talk to them about this so they understand the boundaries that are in place.
- Designate each teen some space in the bathroom for their own toiletries and insist they put things away after use.
- Let teens change their own beds and be responsible for cleaning their room. If they share a room they’ll have to learn how to negotiate – an excellent skill to have.
- Put a reminder on the fridge that they need to check you don’t have any plans for the food inside or label anything that should not be eaten as you need it for the next meal.
- Everyone should agree to keep family rooms free from clutter – this works both ways.
- Show your teen how to use the washing machine, check labels and iron if necessary. It’s a skill they’ll need when they leave home.
Healthy relationships
A teenager's behaviour is strongly linked with the strength of their bond with their parents.
If your relationship is positive, your teen will be happier. But if it's defined by conflict, your teen will be more likely to test boundaries and break the rules.
It may seem sometimes that you can't be their friend and their parent, but the opposite is true.
Teens crave the security of knowing their parents understand them, appreciate them, and love them no matter what, so they do want the relationship to be a form of friendship.
But they also need to feel like they have some independence, so try to remember how you felt when you were a teen and use that as your guide.
Being their friend doesn't mean you can't set the rules and reprimand them when they break them.
But the key is communication and sometimes, compromise.