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

My tip this week is Meet your teen more than half-way >>Listen

Adults are usually pretty accustomed to compromise. In fact, adults usually understand there are times you must be willing to meet people half way and to make compromise easy. Thing is, there is a different set of rules to apply when you are compromising with your teenager. I call it the 70% solution. Here’s the way it works:

If you and your teenager’s combined effort toward a common goal equals 100%, you need to be prepared to make 70% of the effort.

When you are parenting teenagers it isn’t a relationship between equals. There is only ONE adult in this equation. That would be you. And you need to be willing to compromise more, listen better, keep your temper longer, cool your jets faster and meet your teen more than half-way. It’s just the way it is…. And while I’m not suggesting you accept unacceptable behavior I am saying you need to hold yourself to a higher standard. 50%… or a compromise of “I’ll meet you in the middle” isn’t good enough. You need to be willing to go 70% of the way.

You can apply the 70% solution in many ways. It asks you to listen more closely and to respond more carefully. If your teenager is tired or crabby, remember to give her a break and meet her more than half-way. It suggests that you may be the one to create a compromise; it asks that you give your teen more leeway when it comes to mood swings and attitudes. This rule doesn’t ask that you compromise on the non-negotiable rules and expectations that are at the core of your teenager’s best interests.

Remember the 70% solution… this guideline can make a big difference in keeping the peace.

Thanks for subscribing to my 2 Minute Tips for Parenting Teens. ‘Til next week, I’m Sue Blaney.