Guest Post from: Cesar Brijandez, Youth and Family Counselor of SAY San Diego, in partnership with The County of San Diego.
Photo: My nephew, Jake McCabe, fishing the Chatahoochee River near Atlanta, this summer.
Thank you to Cesar for the following content for this topic.
"Spending a summer with teenagers can be challenging. One of
the greatest challenges comes from teenagers
thinking they are adults but are not quite there yet. Here are some tips on how teenagers think and
plan their activities, and how parents can help:
·
Most teenagers lack experience in making
decisions and tend to procrastinate.
·
Most
teenagers are in “limbo” when making decisions on activities to take on.
·
As you discuss plans for your summer, the
important thing to do is listen to teenagers when they talk about an interest
or potential hobby.
·
Teenagers want to be heard before they are told
what to do.
·
When teenagers talk about an issue or concern it
is important to encourage them.
Teenagers need encouragement to make the decisions and embark on a new
activity.
·
Remember to model appropriate behavior to your
teenager. The best way for them to learn
is for them to see how patient you are or how to handle yourself in a difficult
moment.
·
Allow for “last minute changes in plans! Teens may not share all of the information
you need at first, or they may not even
have all the information as they start making their plans…. so it helps if parents can be flexible and adjust to last
minute changes …. surprise, surprise:
teens, like everyone else, aren’t perfect !!
SSpecial thanks to Ellen Yaffa ellen@saysandiego.org.
