A friend of mine was just talking about how she couldn’t trust her teenage boy anymore. This reminds me of how trust is a serious issue in parent-teen relationship. In this part, we are going to talk about trust itself and how trusting your teens can exactly be the best way to go. Let’s get started, shall we?
Instead of being suspicious and bossy all the time, you should really trust your teens and let them make their own decision. Have a sit-down and discuss the common terms you want them to understand before putting your trust completely. Believe me when I say that teens really appreciate trust; they fell like an adult and will start to appreciate your trust even more.
Since you and your teenager already discussed the ground rules, you don’t need to monitor your teens all the time anymore. Let’s say the rule allows you to call your teens every several hours, you can do that and check on your teens without making them feel they are being scrutinized. Don’t forget to also set a curfew that your teen must follow.
Rewards and punishments must also be set when setting the ground rules. If your teens break the rules, you can punish them accordingly. If you are the one who broke the rules – for example if you call more than a certain times a day – you must also receive a form of punishment. Again, this will create a sense of equality and will make your teens even more trustworthy.