Want to know what those life lessons for teenagers you need to know as a parent are? It is not at all easy to raise a teenager. You have to arm yourself with a lot of patience and ingenuity, especially when it comes to transmitting a certain set of values ​​to help him become a mature and responsible person. In this article, we will present you three life lessons for teenagers, which we consider essential.

The most important life lessons for teenagers

1. Give them more freedom, but also more responsibilities

In general, girls develop faster than boys, and at the age of 11-12 they already begin to claim more freedom. Major behavioral changes occur in boys from the age of 13 years. They become stubborn and proud of themselves, manifesting themselves in ways that surprise you.

During adolescence, we feel that our sons or daughters are really growing up. They are on the verge of maturity, but they still have a child’s soul. Their lives are not easy during this period because they are at the mercy of hormones and personal dramas that shape their character. We need to take this into account. But let’s not hesitate to teach him some life lessons for teenagers.

Adolescents need learning opportunities to discover themselves and more freedom to find out what the consequences of their actions are. As a parent, you can help your teen by striking a balance between his or her freedoms and responsibilities.

Certain rules must be imposed on him

Let him go out with friends on the weekends as long as he continues to do well in school. Make him understand that he has to respect the time you told him to come home. Otherwise he will lose all the privileges you grant him.

Adolescents need to understand that there are rules and requirements in life that all people — especially adults — are required to follow. It is important for them to learn about this reality from an early age. This is one of the most important life lessons for teenagers. They will never get what they want without making an effort. In order to have food, clothes or shelter, we all have to work hard and earn money.

Moreover, our adolescents must learn to take responsibility for their own actions. We, the parents, are the ones who set the standards. So we are the ones who have to impose them. Be careful not to change your expectations of your teen from one day to the next. If you do this, you risk it not respecting you.

2. Positive reinforcement pays more than punishments

Many parents make the mistake of constantly punishing their children. He always treats them with superiority and scolds them. And when I’m wrong, I don’t hesitate to resort to negative consolidation. But if we want our teenagers to develop harmoniously, we must learn to moderate our own reactions.

Here is a concrete example:

Suppose your son or daughter fails an exam and returns home with a bad grade. You start yelling at him or her, telling him he won’t accomplish anything in life because of laziness.

Such a reaction from a parent is a big mistake because it causes the installation of negative emotions. The adolescent’s self-esteem will decrease, and he will be overwhelmed by a feeling of despair that will completely discourage him.

Help him maintain his self-confidence

As a parent, you need to help your teen maintain self-confidence. Tell him that you trust him and that you are sure that he will do better next time, that he is perfectly capable of succeeding in what he sets out to do, if he really makes an effort.

When teenagers make mistakes, it is important to show them that it is possible to do better, not to become ruthless critics. We need to adopt a strategy that will allow us to help them regain confidence in their own strengths and abilities, not to punish them constantly. Only in this way can we help them to develop harmoniously.

3. Communication is necessary to build mutual trust

Set aside time each day to talk to your teen so you can find out what’s going on in his or her life. Don’t judge him by what he does or, on the contrary, he doesn’t. As parents, we have a responsibility to guide our children, and this is not possible in the absence of constant communication and trust.

Teenagers do not have to spend the whole day locked in their rooms, listening to music or playing on the computer and going out only to eat or meet friends. Their self-isolation is a problem that we, their parents, must prevent.

To this end, it is good to start family activities from an early age. During the meal, turn off the TV and try to strike up a conversation with your son or daughter. Find out what his hobbies are, what friends he has and what people have piqued his interest. Teenagers should share their lives with their parents, but we must not be insistent.

Adolescents must have the certainty that their parents are their allies, not enemies who offer them nothing but reproaches and punishments. We need to listen to them, guide them, be their mother or father, but also their best friend. Set boundaries when necessary  and give your teen freedom when he or she shows maturity and a good sense of responsibility. Here is one of those life lessons for teenagers that should not be forgotten.

Teach him a set of values

Of course, teenagers are a real challenge and there is no “instruction manual”. But the key is to stay optimistic and show your teen that you love and respect him. Thus he will become a mature adult, with a highly developed sense of responsibility.

People who are really happy understand that in life you can’t succeed without working hard. True friends, respect and understanding are also indispensable ingredients. You will do a great service to your teenager if you help him develop his emotional intelligence and get to know better the world in which he lives, but also himself.

Last but not least, it is essential that both parents agree on how their teenagers should be educated. Together, they must uphold a set of common values.