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| When a teen gives you that look photo credit: Pinterest |
Graduation season does not end with graduation day. A parent
is thrown into the next steps…open house, awards banquets and packing for college.
Let’s not forget about the other things called everyday life.
Everyday life reared it’s head in the midst of my planning
for my son’s open house celebration. It appeared in the form of an early
morning workshop I needed to attend, then an evening dinner dance, just for
fun. My son also had a Rugby game scheduled in a city two hours away.
After getting everything organized, I left my teen son with a
few chores to be completed before he left the house. When it was time for him
to leave for his game, my son sent me the following text.
My son thought he was going to tug at my heart strings. I
told him, while I admired his creativity, he was not off the hook. I came up
with a poem of my own…
Roses are Red
Violets are Blue,
You still need college tuition,
And I love you too.
My son thought he had outsmarted me, but he only delayed
completing his tasks. How can you avoid the pitfalls of being outsmarted by a
teen? Here are 3 tips for avoiding those pitfalls.
1.
Set
expectations and have consequences when expectations are not met.
2.
Be
firm, yet loving – there may be times when your teen needs coaching. He may
need you to explain why a particular expectation/rule is set.
3.
Acknowledge
your teen’s point of view – listening to your teen shows that you value their opinion,
but it doesn’t mean she can do anything she wants.
We know that teens will try our patience at times, but at the
end of the day, they still want a parents love and approval. If you are ever
faced with a teen who thinks he/she can outsmart you, listen to their point of
view and respond with love.
Have you ever had a teen try to outsmart you? The next time a
teen tries to look at you with puppy dog eyes to get his way…give them right
back at him.
photo credit: Attack of the cute
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