Leaving Childhood and Entering Teen Years

When children get ready to enter into their teenage years and leave childhood behind, it can be a shock for parents on how quickly these changes take over. Teenage years can sometimes be the hardest years to go through with your child, and understanding what they need from you and what they no longer need from you as a parent can be a hard pill to swallow. But these years in your child’s life can also be very fulfilling and bring about so many new levels of your child’s personality that you didn’t know they had!

While it can be sad to think about your child no longer being your “little one” anymore, there are a few things to look forward to. Here are some changes to help you prepare for your child’s new independence during their teen years we think you might find insightful.

Natural Changes

Your teen will inevitably go through some very natural mental, physical, and emotional changes. However, if there are family problems within the home, your teen might have a harder time going through this period of their life. You teen will deal with hormonal changes that increase the level of emotions they will feel through trying times. The following list of the natural changes to look out for in your teen are nothing to worry about, and supporting your teen through these stages while they “figure themselves out” is important to the overall trust they will have with you!

Personality changes will begin to happen with your child that might surprise you as a parent. These personality changes will probably include the desire for more independence from their parents. They might want to go to the movies on their own with their friends or want to go shopping by themselves to figure out what they like and don’t like anymore. Your teen might find a list of new stores they all of sudden would prefer to shop at, instead of the stores you used to shop at together as a family.
Your teen might become more opinionated than they once were. They will have changes in opinion about everything from how they want their room decorated to what clothes they no longer want to wear. But there will be those times when you will want to find ways to spend more time with your teen. Here are a few ideas of how you can “entice” them to hang out with you more often.
Changes in your teen’s personal body image will likely also begin to shift. They might become more critical of their bodies and how they are developing, but it is important to help them maintain activities that will instill confidence in them during this stage. You can use team sports or clubs as a way to help your teen find inner confidence in their abilities which can help them become more confident in themselves altogether.
You might also find that your teen will become more easily susceptible to peer pressure and influence from their peers. This is not out of the ordinary and is a stage that naturally occurs when a teen is going through their process of defining who they are in the world. You may want to get a vape detector in the house for your teens.
Moodiness is also a change that will most likely happen when a child enters into their teenage years. Of course, this will occur partly due to the hormonal effects puberty has on the body. Mood swings and grumpiness can become normal during this time as your teen will have never felt the rush of hormones before.

These are all very normal things to look out for when your child enters into their teenage years.

Tips for Raising Healthy and Happy Teens

Raising happy and healthy teens can be challenging but not impossible. Sometimes it’s the little things that will make the biggest difference when parenting your teen. A big one we know can help is to actively listen to them when they are having a behavioral problem or a personal issue. By hearing what your teen is telling you, rather than thinking of your response, it can work wonders in building trust and creating open lines of healthy communication. This practice can help your teen learn how to effectively communicate any issues they are having with their future relationships as they continue to grow into adulthood.

We hope you have found these tips helpful in preparing for the changes you will likely see in your teen.