Hi…Sue Blaney here with your parenting tip from Parenting Teens Info.com

My tip this week is Don’t Be Bullied >>Listen

I spent time this past weekend with a 21 year old young woman whom I’ve known since she was about 3 years old. I was struck by how grown up she has become in the last year or two, with an attitude and maturity that was lovely and inspiring to see. But something she said really got me thinking, and that was when she was talking about what she would and would not allow her daughter to do, and when. This is the daughter she doesn’t have yet…my friend is still in college…she was talking with the new perspective of a young adult about the challenges of parenting a teenage daughter. And her new, more cautious, restrictive attitude was interesting to hear as she told us about the things she will not permit her teenager daughter to do – some of them the very same things she demanded permission for a few short years ago.

This underscores a point that is important for parents of teenagers to remember: no matter how much your teen may make demands on you to allow her certain freedom, she is lacking accurate judgment about whether she can really handle it, or if it’s safe. Your judgment matters the most.  And you need to know that your teenager relies on you to make good judgment calls for him…even if he expresses disagreement over your decisions and resists your authority at the top of his lungs.

I probably don’t need to point out that when your teen is demanding permission you will deny, his behavior may appear contradictory and unpleasant, and his anger at your decision can make you question yourself and feel really badly. I’m here to tell you to stick to your guns and do not allow yourself to cave in to bullying or make choices that go against your better judgment.

You see, you are the adult with the knowledge, experience, and intuition to make judgment calls. You probably won’t always get it right, but you’ll do your best job if you remember these things:

·         stay centered and give yourself time to make thoughtful rather than rushed decisions;

·         gather reliable information from reliable sources;

·         be knowledgeable about your teen and the particular situation and people involved;

·         and pay attention to your intuition.  

Don’t be bullied….stay strong so you can make the good judgment calls that will keep your teen safe.

You can hear from many more young adults - who were recently teenagers themselves - and provide valuable insight about parenting teens in my free downloadable report titled PARENTING TEENAGERS: The Agony & the Ecstasy.

Thanks for subscribing to my Two-Minute Tips for Parenting Teens ……. ‘Til next week…I'm Sue Blaney