• If you can’t beat them join them. I check out the sites with them and allow them to be my guide.
• Family dinner a couple nights a week at the table. This way you can have a conversation without distraction and catch up on what’s going on with school and friends.
• Spend a few minutes in her room talking about her interests. Music, modeling, boys, etc…..and try to ignore the pile of clothes in the corner of her room!
• Take him to the mall and let him show you ‘what’s hot’ in his world. You might even become the envy of other mums since you’re now aware of the cool new trends in ‘teenville’.
• This past weekend my husband took our reluctant teens to the Museum and made them unplug by leaving their phones in the car. They both found exhibits they enjoyed and engaged him in their new found interest.
• If your teen is texting or talking or web surfing late at night when you think he should be asleep…help him unplug by checking his phone and other gadgets in at an agreed upon time.
Resources:
Tips for Raising teens
My teens…unplugged!!!
Good old fashioned wisdom. I like the idea of the teens checking in their gadgets. I'm going to try that. Sometimes I get stuck between the extremes of Caribbean "hard love" and liberal parent and have found that I have to check myself. Does anyone use assertiveness skills in their parenting?
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