Bonding with your teenagers or children is a precious thing that you can do as a parent. It helps them develop socially and emotionally and to become self-aware and confident. This also works to boost their self-esteem when they are grown-up adults.
It also gives you a chance to connect and reestablish healthy communication with them. In this article, we will discuss some of the valuable ways on how to bond with your teenagers.
1. Spend Time Together
We live in a busy world where it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of family life, work, and school. These routine tasks might deny us time to spend without teenagers if we don’t make it deliberate. As parents, making time for our teenagers has the greatest impact on building trust and forming meaningful relationships with them.
One way to spend time together is to cook a meal together at least once a week. Sit down and talk with them about their day while you prepare the food, or have them help you cook. This is an easy way to get them talking, and they’ll feel like family members instead of strangers when the time comes for dinner.
2. Be Present in Their Lives
Know what your teenagers are going through, know their friends, and the impact they have on them. Teenagers want their parents’ undivided attention just as much as they did when they were younger. Make yourself available to them by turning off the television and putting down your cell phone once in a while.
Having more time for them during adolescence is important since this can be a scary stage for them. As a parent, be there for them and help them negotiate this stage in life. It is a stage that is often filled with drama and emotional difficulties that need parental guidance.
When we’re available and open to them, teenagers feel like they can come to us with anything instead of holding their feelings inside.
3. Let Them Know You’re There for Them
How do they know that you are there for them? Kids are very sensitive when it comes to their issues. Always listen to them and advise them accordingly. Show them love and let them always feel they are safe when they are with you than anybody else.
This is the most important thing you can do as a parent, but it’s often overlooked because we don’t want to embarrass our teenagers. Give them a pat on the back when they do something well and let them know you’re proud of them for it.
4. Communicate Openly
Even though you might not always agree with what our teenagers have to say, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to them. Be open to hearing their opinions and beliefs, and understand their issues. This will help you understand what’s going on in their minds and generally in their life.
5. Have Their Backs
When teenagers make mistakes, it can be easy to yell at them or punish them right away. Don’t be in the rush before you understand why they behaved in a certain way.
Instead, stay calm and engage them when you are relaxed. Help them understand that what they did was wrong, and show them how to do it the right way next time.
This also teaches teenagers to be accountable for their acts.
6. Give Them Your Undivided Attention
When you’re in a room with your teenager, give them 100% of your attention. Don’t dominate the talks but let them talk as you listen, and guide them accordingly. This will help strengthen the bond and feel that you care for them and their issues.
7. Ask Them Questions
The first thing to understand is that you want to build a better relationship with them. Therefore, don’t bombard them with many questions that they may not feel safe to reveal. Instead, build relationships with them and they will feel that their opinions are being heard. This will make them open up more than you expected.
They might seem closed off at first, but don’t take it personally.
Asking your youngster questions is a great way to start getting them talking because it gives the control over to the teenager instead of you pushing them for answers.
8. Be Approachable
This is a big one. If your teenager has a problem, don’t brush it aside as something stupid. Instead, take the time to sit down and talk with them in a compassionate way. If you approach them with harsh language, they will eventually shy off next time they do a mistake.
9. Discipline Them Sparingly
Get to know the importance of positive punishment. During adolescence, teenagers want to test their limits and boundaries with everything.
Don’t give them consequences for every single thing they do wrong, or else they’ll think that you’re being unfair to them. Be realistic about your expectations with them but also enforce consequences when necessary.
10. Love Them Unconditionally
This is one of the most important things to remember as a parent if you want to stay close with your teenager. Showing them love will help them grow with confidence and self-esteem.
When you love them, they will be happy to get associated with you and they will also learn to love other people. Most importantly, they will always feel they are loved and that helps strengthen the bond that already exists.
Conclusion
As you have learnt, there are numerous benefits that along when you bond well with your teenagers. They will grow to be responsible adults, with confidence and self-esteem. Regardless of the busy schedule that you may have, always make it a deliberate effort to spare time and bond and spend time with your children.
