WebMD's top 10 tips for parenting and my 5 thrown in
Published: 8/24/2012 11:15 AM
Last Modified: 8/24/2012 11:15 AM
WebMD offers 10 parenting tips for raising teen-agers, and there’s some pretty good, fairly common advice in there. So here they are:
1) Give kids some leeway. Help them establish their own identity.
2) Choose you battles wisely. Don’t nitpick.
3) Invite their friends for dinner. Meet those kids you have questions about.
4) Decide rules and discipline in advance. Get on the same page, mom and dad.
5) Discuss “checking in.” Give teen-agers some autonomy, but you need to know where they are.
6) Talk abour risks. Drugs, driving, sex – yes, they need to know the worst that can happen.
7) Give teens a game plan. Help them figure out how to handle a potentially unsafe situation, like getting into a car with a drunk drive.
8) Keep the door open. Don’t interrogate, but act interested.
9) Let kids feel guilty. Too much is made of self-esteem, when they should feel bad about hurting others, for instance.
10) Be a role model. Your actions mean more than words.
Sage words from the pros, but I’ve been an unpaid parent for 21 years and I’d like to add a few things I’ve learned to do.
11) Play catch with your kid, or kick the ball, shoot at the basket or ride the bike. Activity is good for the body and the mind, so get them started early. Plus, it’s a tremendous amount of fun. They don’t have to be great athletes, they just gotta move.
12) Don’t make them finish their plate. I’ve seen friends who fixate on the kid’s eating habits, and frankly it’s downright uncomfortable. Making a big deal out of food can be a problem down the road.
13) Make them eat healthy – occasionally. No. 13 is the antidote to No. 12, so the little urchins don’t turn into cookie monsters. My wife ensures that our son eats a carrot or celery stock now and then. I didn’t touch a vegetable til I was almost 16, but now I love them.
14) Introduce them to the arts. Maybe it’s a play or the Beatles and the Stones. Music, drama, comedy – it’s a good thing to share. We’ve watch Malick and the Marx Brothers, I’ve read Hunger Games and they’ve read Tom Sawyer. I’ve listened to their Justin Bieber and they’ve endured my Elvis Costello. What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding the generational music and literature gap?
15) Hug them even when they’re 21. Some of those teen-agers tend to pull away emotionally as they near graduation, and that’s OK – they’re growing up. But we all need the human touch so reach out for a quick hug or kiss on the cheek. Your child may act like they hate it but they don’t – unless, of course, you do it in front of their school. Then they’re never let you do it again.
Written by
Rod Walton
Staff Writer
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