Your guide to raising teens: Parenting tips from Artemis Hospital

Adolescence is certainly the most important phase in one’s life. Rachna Khanna Singh, a psychologist at Artemis Hospital (Gurgaon, India) and a well-known lifestyle management expert, believes that parents should be sensitive to the behavioral changes that occur in teens.

Adolescence usually gives rise to conflicts between parents and kids, sparked by the reemergence of latent sexual impulses as the child reaches puberty. The phase is characterized by various changes that ultimately lead to the formation of an individual identity. It is the transitional stage of physical and psychological development, the reason why teens need a lot of love and support from parents at this time. Kids must be given the freedom to explore with their peers to consolidate their identity during teenage.

Various studies have shown that adolescents are often misunderstood during this stage. Many tend to handle rejection poorly and resort to self-harm in situations of distress.

Positive attention is a must for nurturing your teens and encouraging responsible behavior, states psychologists at Artemis Hospital. The most effective parenting strategy with teens is to spend time with them to show that you care. Parents should not assume that their children know how much they love them.  Eating one meal of the day together is a great way of connecting and bonding with your children.

However, it is important to ensure that unconditional love doesn’t mean unconditional approval. It is equally important to discipline children using desirable parenting techniques. Imposing too many restrictions and punishments will only drive away children and make it less likely that you’re aware about what’s going on in their life. Parents are advised to discipline their child by assuring that they won’t withdraw their love as a result of the mistakes committed by the child.

Being the role model for their children, parents set the code of conduct for them. Their behavior sets an example for the children. As a matter of fact, teenagers tend to live up or down to parental expectations. Thus, keeping expectations high usually works, especially during this phase. But instead of focusing only on the achievements, Artemis Hospital counselors emphasize on the need to inculcate moral values in your child. Rather than setting the achievement bar for children, it is better to let them determine what they can handle. Parents should be supportive and encourage their child to retry after every failed attempt.

Keeping in mind the importance of the adolescent phase, parents should pay complete attention to their children during this stage, as it is easier to build stronger children than to mend broken adults.

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