How To Discipline Your Teenager

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As your children were growing up, you probably had a number of people tell you to “enjoy it while it lasted,” implying (or even saying!) that it would not be nearly as much fun when your children grew to be teenagers; in fact, you may have even read parenting books that expressed the same sentiment, but while parenting teenagers is different from parenting children, it does not need to be a nightmare! As long as you take the right approach to parenting your teenagers – disciplining them correctly when the need arises – you will be able to still enjoy your teenagers during these volatile years, continuing to have a relationship with them as you also continue to guide them in the right direction.

One of the big mistakes parents make is disciplining their teenagers because they “made them mad,” which sends the message that your teenagers can do whatever they want, as long as they are not caught. Instead of disciplining your teenagers for upsetting (or disappointing) you, you should always make it clear to them that you are disciplining them for the action itself.

This is a big key, as many parents tend to think that they are disciplining “the person” – which leads their teenager to feel like they are a “bad person,” or like they are “always wrong” – but instead of disciplining the person, you should get into the habit of always disciplining “the decision” or “the action.”

Often, taking away privileges from your teenager is the best way to discipline them, and while many parents know this, they often make the mistake of “adjusting” the punishment later on; teenagers can be persuasive, but it is important that they know that your word is your bond, and if you say that they will have a certain privilege taken a way for a set amount of time, it needs to be taken away for that set amount of time!

By simply following these easy steps, you will be able to discipline your teenager in a much easier manner, and your relationship with your teenager will be much less volatile, and much more rewarding!