Busy. Our teens are busy kids! Which usually means parents are busy with our teens activities too. For instance, both my daughters are in choir and both enjoy doing theater when their schedules allow it. Both girls are involved in clubs, fundraisers, attending school related events (football games, etc.), so free time during the week to just sit and chat is hard to come by. Today, I’m sharing three easy ways I’ve found I can still feel connected with my teens during the busy times.
1. Read their books:
Young Adult, or YA books, are
written with your 15+ teen in mind, but don’t let that stop you from reading
them! Some of THE best books I’ve read this year came directly from my teen
daughter. When you see your teen engrossed in a book, take notice. Better yet,
ask if you can read it when they are done, and then talk with them about the plot and
characters as you read.
Not sure where
to start? Popular picks are: The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, the
Divergent series by Veronica Roth, The Selection series by Kiera Cass- (start
my daughter’s reviews here). The much anticipated Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and two by J.K. Rowling and our personal pick and hands-down favorite , The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.
2. Listen to their music:
Most parents know this time
all too well: You’re in the car with your teen, taking them to their after-school
activity again. They make small talk
with you for five minutes, and then in go the ear buds and you’ve been tuned
out. The same thing can happen when you take them out to eat.
Keep the
conversation and the fun going by inviting them to keep some of their Cd's in
the car, then pop one in while you are driving them to their destination. Once
you get to your destination, if you see those ear buds come out again, ask them who they are listening too.
The point is to engage and
connect in their world often! Some of
the best and funniest conversations I’ve had with my girls is talking about the
lyrics to some of their favorite songs. Our top pick right now is “25” by Adele, followed closely by "Blurry face" by 21 Pilots.
3. Include them in your work:
I have the privilege of
working from home. Both my businesses- blogging and Avon are businesses I work
mainly from home, so my teens have gotten used to seeing me work on a daily basis. I’m inviting
them in and keeping this part of my day open to connecting possibilities. They respect what I do and actually look for
ways to help me.
Teens are plugged in to what’s in, what’s trendy and relevant
to them which is invaluable to anyone in a marketing field. Which is why my
oldest daughter didn’t mind helping me with a recent photo shoot at Toys “R” Us
for a brand I was working with.
Asking your teen for their
opinion on a related topic to your industry can be a great way to connect with
them as well. My teens know it's not all fun and
lip gloss in my businesses because they see me doing the back office work too.
We bounce ideas off each other often and they have opened up my eyes to a newer,
fresher way of seeing the world. Why not show your teens what you so all day as well? Bring home an
assignment to work on after dinner and ask them to check it out.
There you have it! Three easy
ways to stay connected with your teens. Try one or all three over the next week and
you may see your teens in a whole new way, you may even score some cool parents
points!
Please share in comments: How do you connect with your
teen? Do you use one or more of my
strategies?
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