The teen years can be difficult for kids for a varying number of reasons, but it’s no less challenging for parents either. Just as the teenagers try to get accustomed to changes in almost every facet of their lives, the responsible parent keeps worrying about their child and how he/she is managing everything. Among other things, this is the time when your children start dating for the first time and while that is an exciting and memorable moment, things can go wrong as well. To make sure that your 15-year old daughter isn’t dating someone she shouldn’t, here are a few tips that should come in handy.
Talk to Your Teens
This is the best thing that you can possibly do to keep your children safe under any circumstances because as long as they are talking to you, you know what’s going on in their lives and you will be able to act if you notice something is wrong. It is important not to be viewed as a judgmental parent, but more as a friend with whom they can share anything and everything.
Keep an Eye on them
This is easier said than done because you cannot follow your teenage son/daughter around all day – and nor should you! Fortunately for parents, they can use mSpy for tracking phone details of their children. This monitoring software for parents has been designed to let parents gain access to their children’s text messages (SMS, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat), media content, internet usage, and even track their real-time location from anywhere. This basically gives you access to your children’s entire personal life and while that may seem intrusive, it will allow you to step in and put a stop to abusive relationships, bad influences, and potentially dangerous individuals that teenagers often find themselves attracted to by default.
Emphasize the Importance of Proper Sex Education
Awkward as it may be for both parents and teenagers, you need to make sure that your son/daughter fully understands how important protection is in a relationship of sexual nature. In this day and age, they probably know everything already, but there’s a difference between knowing and understanding at this age and you need to close that gap by getting your point across. Inform them about the risk of STDs, unwanted pregnancies, the importance of being old enough for physical intimacy, and everything else that could help them act more responsibly while dating.
Look for Behavioral Changes
Changes in behavior are quite normal for a teenager since adolescence is all about that, but if that change is something abrupt, uncharacteristic, or harmful that manifested soon after he/she started dating, it could be a sign that something is wrong. Try to talk to them and find out what’s wrong before things escalate.
At the end of the day, you also need to respect your child’s decisions at times because a teenager is a growing human being and unless the parents give them a bit of space, it is difficult for them to develop into an independent adult. Nevertheless, even though they may act like it, teenagers are not yet adults and they still need you to keep an eye on them for a few more years, be it when they are dating or making an important career decision.
