Parenting Teens With a Little Extra Help
[This post is sponsored by the Center for Parent and Teen Communication. All opinions are my own.]
Parenting is an adventure. I’ve documented a lot of it right here on this blog for a long time. But lately, I haven’t shared my parenting as much. Mainly, because we are incredibly busy while growing a nonprofit. But also, in this world of pretty social media postings and a focus on the positive online, it’s difficult to talk about the tough stuff. I want to talk about this teen parenting experience. It’s hard and I want to do a good job.
Outside of texting a small group of friends to talk through our parenting process, I have enjoyed looking through the tips and advice from the Center for Parent and Teen Communication. Most recently, I clicked through a rotating collection of 100-word parenting tips. The “snack-sized” information is a chance to create a playlist of my favorite parenting reminders. (Each section below links to a parenting tip I appreciate.)
Spot strengths
I’ve learned through experience to step away from the negativity and identify and bolster the good stuff. I identified my Cameron’s interest in film production so we continue to connect him to different opportunities that enhance and grow his focus.
Manage stress together
I am really working hard to accomplish this task with the family. Jordan and I are looking for new workout options together. Cameron and I make a point of seeing movies and watching amusement park videos together to decompress from the real world.
Calm calm calm
I’m not winning at this skill yet. But I will continue to repeat “calm calm calm” when I feel the need to start boiling.
Lighthouse parenting
I really enjoy this piece of advice. I try very hard to be the beam of light that helps the kids stay on track and follow a good end goal. I will jump in to help when they need but I will not helicopter!
Celebrate learning
Oh my gosh. This was one of the biggest discoveries that I figured out on my own. I realized in the last couple of years that I have absolutely no control over how and what Cameron studies. So I will celebrate the content he’s learning. We’ll talk about it. Celebrate progress. And at the same time, I will not nag. It isn’t worth messing my relationship with Cameron. I KNOW coming to this conclusion saved my relationship with him.
There are 25 snack-sized “parenting in 100 words” tips and you can just keep clicking to see more. I’ve read through the circle of tips a few times. All of the posts are great reminders for me. Check them all out and let me know if any of them resonated with you. I know we can’t all talk about the ugly details of teen parenting, but I do think we can share our learnings with each other. Why repeat mistakes when we’re figuring this out a little more every step of the way?