When your child reaches their teenage years, your relationship with them is likely to change a lot. It’s a very difficult time for a child and they are going through a lot of changes, and it’s very common for parents to argue with their teenage children. It’s normal to clash sometimes and you don’t need to worry too much about it. However, if you find that you are constantly fighting, you need to do something about it. These are some of the best ways to improve your relationship with your teenager.
Understand Your Personalities
Understanding both of your personalities is so important if you want to improve your relationship. Many people don’t know this, but there are actually 9 different personality types, and each personality type responds to others in a different way. The Enneagram Personality Test is a helpful tool for building important relationships because it shows you what personality type you are. An Idealist, for example, values honesty and transparency above all else, while a Caregiver thrives on encouragement and praise. A person with a Creative personality needs space for their creativity to flourish, and they need time on their own to recharge their batteries. If you and your teenager take the test and work out what kind of personalities you have, it’s a lot easier to know how you should communicate with one another.
Accept That They Are Growing Up
Often, parents are unwilling to accept that their child is turning into an adult, and they push back against the natural changes that are happening in their lives. Driving lessons Chester-le-street are probably high on their list of priorities if they’re looking for more freedom, whilst first dates are a prime example of how teens are no longer kids. Many parents try to restrict their teenagers and prevent them from forming romantic relationships, but whilst it’s important that you make sure that they are safe, trying to stop them from engaging in relationships will only make them feel like they are being treated as a child and it will lead to conflict. What you should be doing instead is giving them advice about these kinds of things and helping them to navigate changes safely. It’s also important that you allow them their independence and let them make decisions for themselves. You can always give them advice, but you cannot control their decisions.
Find Ways To Spend Time Together
Teenagers don’t really like spending time with their parents as much as they used to, but it’s important that you maintain that family bond. Don’t try to force them into doing the same family activities that you did when they were younger because they won’t respond to that. Instead, you should encourage their hobbies and take an active interest in them. Let them decide how they want to spend time with you so you can still maintain that important family time, while also allowing them to grow and find their own interests.
Your relationship with your teenager is always going to be tough, and the important thing is that you are there to support them. If you follow these tips, you should be able to improve your relationship and avoid any big arguments.