Hi – Sue Blaney here with your Parenting Tip from Parenting Teens Info.com

My tip this week is Make your decision and move on. >>Listen

Parents often face decisions and choices for which there is no clear right answer. Jonathan and Nicole have been struggling with a situation like this. Their son Sam had committed to participate in a rather special and time-consuming volunteer program early in the school year, but here they are in the middle of the year and everything about that commitment looks different. For some very good reasons, their son wants out and as the parents are reevaluating the situation, they wonder “when is it okay to allow a kid to renege on a commitment? When can a parent be flexible on such a thing, and when does one stay firm?"

This choice between being firm and being flexible is one that parents come across frequently. And it’s rarely clear what the best choice is.

For a period of time Nicole was tied up in knots, wondering what the best resolution should be. She wrestled with the short term aspects of the problem, and the long term implications of their choice. She felt uneasy, guilty and very stressed. Too often, right and wrong is not clear, and despite your best intentions to always make the right decisions, you are sometimes guessing your way through the fog.

Here are 8 steps that may help you if you are struggling with a tough decision:

1. Clearly define the real issue at hand (And, this isn’t always as obvious as it may first appear),
2. Explore, consider and discuss all options and alternatives,
3. Make a list of pros and cons,
4. Discuss this with all family members - including your teenager,
5. Get in touch with the emotions you are feeling; give yourself time to allow them to inform you. If necessary, look again at steps 1 - 4.
6. Tap into your courage. This will be required, whether you decide this is a time to stand firm, or to be flexible and take a new approach.
7. Make your decision,
8. Move on.

Don’t second-guess yourself. Don’t lose anymore sleep over this. Don’t look for outside validation for your choice. Don’t allow it to eat away at you. You’ve made your best choice… now move on.

Thanks for subscribing to my 2 Minute Tips. Til next week….