Making TEA
What’s your role in your teen’s life?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
What a peculiar question! You’re her/his/their parent! Yet, what does that really mean? How do you live that role?
Thinking about being a parent, when you have been one for almost two decades, is like thinking about the air we breathe-we don’t really do it until we hit a snag. So with the hope of creating stronger relationships through reflection and conversation... let’s take a walk down memory lane.
What was it like to be the parent of a baby? Remember the excitement, the questions, and the worries you had? How you reached out for help by talking with family, friends, and the pediatrician, reading articles in the paper and books? Who were you then, what was your role and your responsibilities? What were your ideas about parenting and being a parent?
As your child became a toddler, and grew into the early years of elementary school, how did your child’s development influence and change your relationship with him? In what ways did you change the ways in which you provided support and opportunities for his maturing mind and body? Did you talk with family and friends, or reach out to experts in the same way?
In the early teen years, can you remember how you took on different roles that encouraged and enabled her to explore the world beyond home and school, adventuring into the community and the larger world, through going to camp, summer programs, and travel abroad? Did you begin to think about the connection you had with your young teen and how to strengthen that relationship? Were there conversations among family and friends that went beyond how difficult the teen years were becoming-so often the discussions are around problems and not solutions.
As you reflect on the middle and teen years, how has your role evolved? How is your relationship different now than it was in all the earlier phases of your teen’s life? What are your feelings about your current relationship?
Throughout our children’s lives we move from caretaker to manager to coach. My guess is that if you’re more of a coach in your teen’s life-asking questions, having conversations, offering guidance and support when asked, nurturing independence and thoughtful decision-making-it will give you the opportunity to support their continuing personal development and afford them the chance to step into being a responsible young adult. Being a consistent, active, and loving parent is a challenge-and worth the effort
Jill Greenbaum, Ed.D., supports families through change, coaching teens and having conversations with parents... Coaching & Conversation.
Find Coach Jill....
t| 1.845.369.6026 c| 1.201.294.1828
blog: www.majorinyou.com/blog
FB: www.facebook.com/jillgreenbaum
twitter: www.twitter.com/jillgreenbaum
Thinking about being a parent, when you have been one for almost two decades, is like thinking about the air we breathe-we don’t really do it until we hit a snag. So with the hope of creating stronger relationships through reflection and conversation... let’s take a walk down memory lane.
What was it like to be the parent of a baby? Remember the excitement, the questions, and the worries you had? How you reached out for help by talking with family, friends, and the pediatrician, reading articles in the paper and books? Who were you then, what was your role and your responsibilities? What were your ideas about parenting and being a parent?
As your child became a toddler, and grew into the early years of elementary school, how did your child’s development influence and change your relationship with him? In what ways did you change the ways in which you provided support and opportunities for his maturing mind and body? Did you talk with family and friends, or reach out to experts in the same way?
In the early teen years, can you remember how you took on different roles that encouraged and enabled her to explore the world beyond home and school, adventuring into the community and the larger world, through going to camp, summer programs, and travel abroad? Did you begin to think about the connection you had with your young teen and how to strengthen that relationship? Were there conversations among family and friends that went beyond how difficult the teen years were becoming-so often the discussions are around problems and not solutions.
As you reflect on the middle and teen years, how has your role evolved? How is your relationship different now than it was in all the earlier phases of your teen’s life? What are your feelings about your current relationship?
Throughout our children’s lives we move from caretaker to manager to coach. My guess is that if you’re more of a coach in your teen’s life-asking questions, having conversations, offering guidance and support when asked, nurturing independence and thoughtful decision-making-it will give you the opportunity to support their continuing personal development and afford them the chance to step into being a responsible young adult. Being a consistent, active, and loving parent is a challenge-and worth the effort
Jill Greenbaum, Ed.D., supports families through change, coaching teens and having conversations with parents... Coaching & Conversation.
Find Coach Jill....
t| 1.845.369.6026 c| 1.201.294.1828
blog: www.majorinyou.com/blog
FB: www.facebook.com/jillgreenbaum
twitter: www.twitter.com/jillgreenbaum
