Conversations You Need to Have With Your Teen

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As a mom that is about to have a teenager in her home and another teenager in the next 2 years, I worry that I have not prepared them for the ‘real world’. As parents, we tend to put our children in a protective bubble which is perfectly normal, but there is a time that we need to slowly remove them from that bubble and have serious life conversations with our teens.

Conversations You Need to Have With Your Teen

• Diversity– I think that in our world today, compared to when I was younger our world is more openly diverse. First, it’s important to teach our kids what diversity is. Then it’s important to talk about some of the different beliefs that other people have, such as religion, sexual preference, different cultures, and more. It’s also important to discuss with our teens that just because someone is different from them and may have different beliefs that it is important to be kind to one another.
• Leadership Role– Let’s face it, a kid’s brain does not fully develop until at least their mid 20’s, so it’s important that we continue to remind them what a leader is and the importance of being one. Teenagers are too often influenced by their friends and not always in a good way. It’s important that we have a conversation with our teens and give them examples of both positive and negative leadership roles and share with them the importance of being a positive leader to their peers.
• Social Media– As a mom, my goal is to avoid allowing my girls to have access to social media sites for as long as possible. These social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more are not meant for kids. These sites can create a lot of damage if not used properly. Even though my goal is for my girls not to have social media until they are adults, it’s important to have a conversation about the harmful effects it can create. From conversations about not posting personal information and drama to what type of pictures to post and not post, it’s important that these conversations are had because what is posted on social media can mentally harm others and themselves and it can also follow them throughout their adult life.
• Sexting- It sounds so simple to tell your kids to not sext but in reality, a teen will do what a teen wants to do and often times will feel pressured by whoever they want attention from. My biggest advice is to keep talking to your teens about the harmful effects of sexting and consider pulling up past news articles that pertain to teen and sexting and the outcome.
• Respect for Others- Even though most kids are taught manners at a young age, it’s important to have a conversation with our teens about not only remembering to use manners but to respect all people. From the cashier at the fast food counter to their teachers to their peers, it’s important that teens always remember to be respectful. Too often you will see a group of teens being disrespectful to someone because they messed up their order or are weaker than them. It’s important that teens know the importance of being respectful and kind to others at all times. 

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In my experience, the teenage years are the most difficult times for our teens and quite honestly, for the parents of teens. From changing hormones to mood swings, it’s not always easy to have serious conversations with your teen but it’s important that you try and never give up.

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