HOW TO RAISE A RESPECTFUL TEENAGER

All parents want their children to grow up to be respectful members of society. As our children become teenagers, they start to become independent and push boundaries, and ensuring their remain respectful of the rules and others around them becomes a little more challenging. 

If this sounds familiar, don’t lose hope; there are plenty of ways to help your child stay on the right track, even if it doesn’t seem that way at the minute. I have teamed up with a private sixth form in Edgware to offer you some advice.

First of all, it’s important to let your teenager have some space, no matter how hard that might seem. You may not be comfortable with letting them make their own mistakes but, if you don’t, they will never learn. 

As an example, if they are having friendship problems, there’s nothing wrong with giving them advice, but try to let them figure it out themselves. This will help them learn to deal with conflict in a constructive manner as they become adults and go out into the real world, where conflict is inevitable from time to time. 

A parent that is too overbearing typically leads to resentment and rebellion, so while you can let your child know that you will always support them and help them when they need you, they do need to learn to solve problems without you from time to time.

You likely have many rules in place for your family, which is great, but it’s important to ensure that these rules are clear-cut so that there’s no work around for your child. Let them know that if any of your rules are broken, there will be consequences. 

Punishing your teen might feel difficult, but if you don’t stick to your word, they will not respect what you say or take you seriously. 

When it comes to teaching your teen to respect others, it might be worth exploring different walks of life. Disrespectful behaviour sometimes stems from ignorance, so be sure to teach your child about different cultures etc. 

You may want to encourage them to get involved in some sort of charity work so that they learn to appreciate what they have and also to respect that all people have different struggles, but should be treated as an equal nonetheless.

If you require some additional support or advice, don’thesitate to contact your child’s teachers. After all, both you and the school have an obligation to your child to help them grow up to be happy, healthy, successful and respectable members of a wider community.