CHALLENGE CHALLENGE
When we think of adolescence, many of us come to mind from fun and joy, to fear and insecurities, at the same time.
The truth is that adolescence is a complicated stage not only for the adolescent himself but also for the parents, since for adolescents this stage is new and unknown and for us, parents, even though we were already teenagers, is new in reference to children, to be parents of teenagers.
Something that happens in parents is that we forget that we were also teenagers, it is as if this stage were erased and we focused on just setting limits, which is not bad but you have to know how and when. Let us remember that in adolescence our children learn to know each other, learn to be themselves, learn to make decisions and assume the consequences of them, good or bad.
Making mistakes, having different opinions from ours, failing, falling in love, everything is part of adolescence, of learning and maturing. Whether we like it or not, they start to grow and become independent.
The best we can do as parents is to support them, listen to them, be there for them when they need us. Teens who feel free to tell their parents about their fears, wishes, failures, tastes, experiences, without fear of being judged, punished or rejected, They are much more likely to become happy and self-confident adults than those teens who feel the need to hide everything from their parents.
So the real challenge as parents of teenagers is to keep the communication channels always open. Talk about all the topics they require, without lecturing them, but explaining our position or opinion but always without underestimating their feelings or thoughts.
Always respecting and listening to them. If the conversation has to be suspended because the situation is getting hot, go ahead and resume it days later. If you have to seek help with a specialist to address a certain topic, go ahead. Everything goes well when it comes to our children and their well-being.
Sandra Delgado Jiménez
Clinical Psychologist
