40 Ways to Show Your Teen You Care

40 Ways to Show Teens You Carenn1. Communicate openly and frankly with themn2. Cherish their inputn3. Give them your full attention when they do open up, maintaining eye contactn4. Be interested in what interests themn5. Remember that each child is uniquen6. Do your best to attend their sports games and special eventsn7. Find ways to make them feel special n8. Realize that life is not simple for teensn9. Be as transparent as possible; you can be honest about your own needsn10. Understand that they will swing between dependence and independencen11. False starts, mistakes, poor judgment, or impulsive action are part of growing upn12. Be aware of your own growth; as you grow, you will be more able to understand your teen’s growthn13. Let them naturally gravitate more toward their friends than to youn14. Make time for themn15. Cherish the time they do spend with you and tell them son16. Be humble enough to admit when you have overreacted or made a mistaken17. Teens have their own mind, so their difficult behavior is not always a reflection of youn18. Teens need a significant degree of autonomy and need your support with their choicesn19. Suggest better behavior when they do act out n20. Welcome their suggestionsn21. Patience is a virtue, tolerance is notn22. When you believe in them they will flourishn23. Give them their private time when they need itn24. Unconditional love is essentialn25. Praise produces more than criticismn26. Accept their feelingsn27. Expect their best; expecting perfection can lead to lifelong problemsn28. Let them communicate their needs and try to meet themn29. Be consistent with discipline; they want boundaries, but will not admit itn30. Compliment with honestyn31. Model the importance of valuesn32. Open your home to their friendsn33. Get to know the crowd they are running withn34. You can help them set realistic goals and expectationsn35. Keep the promises you maken36. It is important to let them know when you are overwhelmed and that it is not their faultn37. A child that feels loved, expresses loven38. Still accept them when they are acting outn39. You are your child’s role modeln40. Affirm them as often as possiblennRemember, it is a natural progression of life for teenagers to want to develop their independence, to not want rules, and not listen to your sage advice. They want to make their own mistakes … this is how they learn. If they do not seek their independence, they may live with you the rest of their lives. Not a pleasant or healthy thought! If you are concerned about this … place a sign on their bedroom door: “Checkout is 18!” nnRemember, life begins when the dog dies and the kids move out of the home!nnHappy Parenting