Parenting is a tough journey. You will be faced with challenges at every step of the way. Looking after a newborn is tough in entirely different ways to caring for a toddler, child, teenager, young adult and beyond. However, many parents report that the most challenging stage of parenthood tends to be the teen years. This is a time where your child will slowly transition into being an adult. Not only will you have to navigate entirely new territory surrounding responsibility and independence, but this can be the first points of your child’s life where you begin to allow them to live in the world without your supervision. This is scary. It can be difficult to manage and process. But it is something that we all have to go through at some point or another. So, what can you do to keep your teen as safe as possible throughout this time? Here are some top tips that will really help with this journey!
Create Balance
Being overly harsh or restrictive with your kids during this age can backfire. They may feel so suppressed and unable to joint in activities with their peers that they ultimately rebel and go further than they ever would have before, if they had been given a little leeway. At the same time, leaving your kid entirely to their own devices can be difficult too. They may make mistakes or poor life choices that could have been avoided. The key to success is to create balance. Discuss healthy boundaries with your teen. Allow them a degree of privacy. Only you can know what will work best for you and your family, but it is advisable to be lenient and fair.
Share Locations
Allowing your kid to head out unsupervised for the first time can feel scary. This is only natural. You don’t necessarily know where they are or what they’re up to and you will need to put a fair amount of trust into them. But there are things you can do to make sure that you are able to locate them if needs be. This is where location sharing can come in useful. Most teens have a smartphone of their own, which is useful for being able to contact them when they’re out and about. Looking into options like find my kids can help you to see where they are while they’re using their phone.
Teach Cybersafety
Kids spend a lot more time online nowadays – especially teenagers. So, it’s always worth making sure that they know basic cybersafety. This comes from many angles. You should make sure that they know the dangers of talking to or meeting up with strangers. You should make sure that they know to never share their location or other personal details to strangers. You should ensure that you have filters on your internet to make sure that they can’t access content that could be harmful to them or traumatise or disturb them.
This isn’t a comprehensive list on how to keep your teen safe, but some of the tips outlined should help you to get these years started off well!