High school is a critical time for learning to love. Teens need to learn to behave fairly in romantic relationships. They also need to continue to practice treating others with kindness and respect. For parenting advice and details on helping your teen be kind and respectful see Just Like His Father?
What skills does a high schooler need to master? High School kids need to practice having a balance in their lives. At puberty, the sex hormones begin to motivate a person to focus on sex and social status. An excessive focus on these undermines competency and well-being. Lack of life balance leads to addiction and antisocial behavior.
To have life balance teens must learn impulse control.
For parenting advice on developing your teen's competency and impulse control see: The Child Well-Being Workbook.
Teens with a history of ADHD are at great risk for addiction and antisocial behavior! Reduce your teen's risk by fostering his well-being.
1. Relatedness: High school teens need to have close family relationships and friendships. In addition, high school teens need to learn how to relate to members of the opposite sex. They also need to develop love for their community.
2. Competency: Teens need to develop many skills. They need to believe they CAN succeed as adults.
3. Autonomy: Teens need autonomy. The right amount of autonomy allows a teen to practice being an adult under the mentorship of his parents.
How do I know how much autonomy to give my high schooler? Teens need enough freedom to allow them to practice making good choices. Knowing how much autonomy to give your high schooler also depends on a parenting skill called responsivenss.
Responsiveness means being sensitive to your teen's needs and desires both expressed and unexpressed. Responsiveness depends on empathy. Empathy is part of a parent's Ability to Love. Many things in our lives decrease our Ability to Love our teens. For parenting advice and to learn how to maximize your own Responsiveness and Ability to Love see The Parent's Well-Being Workbook.
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