You know when your child has reached the lovely teen years when they are making issues about things that never were a problem before. Your teen may also be found quite irritable at times and having little desire to hang out with you like they used to. The teen years are extremely difficult but each parent struggles with different issues. One of the biggest things a parent can do during the teen years is to make sure there’s time to bond with your teen. Before long your teen will be an adult and leave the nest. Today I wanted to share a few tips for parents who are looking for easy ways to bond with their teen.
Stop the Life Lessons
When you start to think of ways to bond with your teen, the first thing to remember is that you have to stop the life lessons. No matter what you and your teen are doing together to bond, refrain from any life lesson commentary during your quality time together. This will encourage the trust and communication to keep flowing during bonding moments.
Watch a Movie
There’s nothing better for a parent and teen to do than bond over a movie. Often times your teen doesn’t feel like talking, they tend to enjoy the silence. When you opt to watch a movie with your teen, it opens the doors to a bonding moment where you enjoy snacks and a good flick together. This moment in time can inspire other bonding activities to happen with your teen.
Play a Sport
If your teen is into sports and you aren’t sure how to enjoy this activity with them, try to learn. Ask your teen to take you to the local park to teach you their favorite sport. Chances are that you should have the equipment on hand for your teen’s favorite sport, if not find a local place that has the equipment ready for use by any community member, such as a recreational center and enjoy this time together.
Start a Garden
Get outside and get your hands dirty with your teen by starting a garden. It’s about that time of year when spring is starting to shine through and many people are starting their garden. As you both learn how to start growing your own vegetables, flowers, and fruits together you’ll find the bonding happens naturally. This can be quite fun to do with your teen!
Help with a Project
The high school years can be rather difficult with new essays, projects, and preparation for college. Offer your time to help your teen with a project that they’ve been working on. This will help them feel loved because you’re showing interest in doing something with them and it will help you encourage a deeper level of bond with your teen.
These years are not for the faint of heart. Raising teens brings a whole new level to your parenting role. While these teen years may seem difficult and at times frustrating, it will be okay. Try to do some of the tips I shared today with your teen to help keep that parent and child bond intact.