The teenage or adolescent years are the time for growth and puberty changes. However, the rate at which the changes may occur varies from person to person.
Becoming a teenager brings a lot of changes not only physically but also mentally and socially. During this period parents need to understand them and their moods and acts. There are a lot of teenage facts that often parents ignore but are highly needed to be considered.
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10 Facts about teenagers that are essential for every parent to know!
There are numerous facts about the child in their adolescence that parents are often ignorant about. In this article, we have listed a few facts about teenagers that every parent should be well accustomed to.
Here the facts have been separated into two groups. Namely,
- Primarily facts
- Secondary facts
5 Primary or basic teenage facts that parents must know
Gain their trust to know them better.
One of the most important teenage facts is that – once reach the teenage period, your child cannot trust you with everything out of the blue. How do you often react when your child commits an error?
Or how do you treat them? In most families, the atmosphere remains gloomy, exasperated expressions at each other and most commonly, slamming doors on the others’ faces. Trust is a two-way street. You cannot expect that from your teenager without gaining it or rather to say, without showing that you trust them too.
It is essentially important to communicate well with them. Instead of shouting, talk to them and make them understand. That way you can easily earn their trust. You should not restrict their movements, instead, teach them the pros and cons of their actions with a calm mind. Then see how they easily trust you with their issues.
Instead of calling their actions childish try to understand the cause behind them.
Did your child suddenly start behaving differently? Different from his/her natural ways? Instead of calling them out as childish or asking them to act mature, sit with them and talk to them while trying to understand the cause behind it.
They might be going through tough phases in their school life. It might have affected their mind severely and calling them out like that might affect them more. They might be undergoing ragging or bullying! Even in 2022, bullying remains a massive cause of concern among teenagers.
Not only in school, but the rate of cyberbullying has also risen a significant amount and can massively affect a child mentally and emotionally. It can sometimes lead to suicide attempts as well.
Body shaming, racial discrimination, etc are some major factors. Your child might be going through such issues and is not confident enough to open up about it. So, every guardian needs to Consider these teens’ facts before concluding anything.
Don’t stop them at everything. Let them make some of their decisions.
Once your child reaches a teenager, they start making their own decisions. However, they don’t always necessarily make the right decision.
They might also start keeping things from you. They might tell those to their friends but not you. Rather than always asking them why they don’t open up, try to think about it yourself.
It might be because you tend to freak out every time they tell you Something, and also, get upset when they don’t. How do they react? Try to see and understand things from their point of view and let them make some mistakes. People learn from mistakes. All of us have. They will as well.
Respect their privacy.
As said in the above-mentioned point, your child might suddenly start keeping things from you. Don’t Panic or don’t try to interfere in their privacy. Despite being a detective, try to give them some time and see how the magic works. They will automatically open up to you and would share their worries and problems.
Try to keep a watch if they are indulging themselves in habits like smoking or drinking.
Once achieve a certain age limit, the kids start considering themselves capable of making their own decisions even if they ain’t. That’s when sometimes under provocation they tend to try smoking or drinking alcohol secretly. As a parent, it’s your primary duty to check how your child is acting.
These are some of the primary facts about teenagers that every parent should consider while guiding a child during their adolescent years.
Secondary 5 Facts that parents must know about their teens
Apart from the primary teen’s facts, there are some other facts that every parent should know. Some of them are :
Your actions matter to them
You can make your child more affectionate toward you. Just express sheer interest in their hobbies, and favorite sports and easily connect to them. Listen to what they say, show more interest, and show them that you care!
Don’t force them
Another teen’s fact that you should always consider is not to force them to socialize. The child can be a little introverted. Forcing him/her to socialize might worsen the condition and put a strain on your relationship with your child. Give them time to adopt.
Don’t go overboard
Don’t act overprotective or over-interfering. We know that from a parent’s perspective, it’s a way to ensure their child’s safety but the child might not understand that. So the only way to ensure their safety is to befriend them and not stalk them.
Try to answer their curiosity
One of the most important Facts about teenagers is when you don’t answer their “why” and ask them to obey you, they tend to act more stubborn. So try to reason with their “why” not with “because I said so” but with a justified reason.
They are no more than five years old
You need to understand they have grown up and are not any more your little munchkins. You need to accept these changes and understand them.
Is 15 a tough age?
Ans- 15-year-olds can appear to be moody, unpredictable, confusing, and trying for grown-ups, guardians, and parental figures. You’ll see your high schooler testing limits, investing less energy with you and more with companions, and wanting more privacy.
Conclusion
Hope that this will help parents understand their child even more now. Though some parents consider some of these facts sometimes they get irritated with the child’s activities and act rashly.
That’s when the child starts distancing themselves. So parents must keep these teenager facts at least throughout their growing period.