5 MISTAKES PARENTS MAKE WITH THEIR TEENAGERS

Do you feel out of touch and battle to engage with your teenager?

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Don’t be directive, says Don Pinnock, a criminologist and trustee of the Chrysalis Academy who deals with 700 high-risk youth in the Western Cape. He says one of the biggest mistakes is to tell teens what to do ‘because I know better’ or ‘because I say so’. ‘Young people must be allowed to make their own mistakes and learn from them.’

HERE ARE THE BIG 5 MISTAKES PARENTS MAKE WITH TEENS:

• Treating your teenager like a young child who can’t take responsibility. 
• Forbidding or banning certain activities without giving them a rational explanation. 
• Taking it personally when your teenager says you don’t understand and you don’t know anything! 
• Not respecting their views. If your teenager feels really strongly about something, discuss it and respect their opinion even if you disagree with them. 
• It might seem contradictory, but also don’t assume your teenager is perfect and give them free rein to do as they like.

JET CLUB MEMBERS HAVE FREE ACCESS TO JET CLUB’S HELPLINES:

Teen Advice LineSA & Namibia
0800 0045 45

Botswana, Lesotho & Swaziland
+2711 991 8258