Raising teenage kids is a big challenge for parents. To help you in this difficult task, we present here 21 absolute rules for raising teenage boys. These rules are based on the experiences and opinions of parents who have faced the same challenge. These rules may be personal in nature and depend on the individual circumstances of each family, so you should adapt them to your own circumstances and apply them accordingly.
1. Teach them to respect women
You should teach your children to respect women as real people and equals to them in rights, abilities, and personal space.
2. Enjoy fun conversations
Enjoy enjoyable conversations with your kids as you always have, whether while walking in the woods or lying on the couch. Enjoy the funny questions and humorous chats with them.
3. Love them for sleeping in
Love your kids for sleeping in, as sleeping late is part of their growth and development, and they might be tired due to their rapid growth. When they come out of their rooms at 2 PM with their long arms and legs and their sleepy faces, you can say to them “Did you sleep well, my dear?” instead of “Good evening” like our parents did in the past.
4. Be kind to your child
Be kind to your child even if it seems like they don’t notice or care. When they lie in your bed next to you and the cats, you can continue reading your book but it’s good to feel happy.
5. Prepare for ignored questions from the open fridge
Be prepared for ignored questions from the open fridge such as “Is the meat done?” or “Is there anything left from the leftover steak?” Respond with your natural kindness and say “Yes!” or “I ate it!” and remind your son that he is welcome to fill the fridge himself.
6. Learn the term “second dinner”
Learn the term “second dinner” and buy plenty of frozen meals from Trader Joe’s for the hungry people late at night.
7. Enjoy the beautiful, kind, and funny boy
Enjoy the beautiful, kind, and funny boy who seriously says funny things like “Same thing” to make you laugh after he loudly talks about how menopause is killing you.
8. Be trustworthy
Be trustworthy. If they come to you with something bad or difficult, the first message should be “I’m so glad you told me” and the second message should be “How can I help you?”
9. Talk to them about consent
Talk to them about consent, and watch the British PSA video “Tea and Consent” together as a starting point, then if they are having sex, give them space and time for that. Because quick sex can be bad and unsafe.
10. Always say yes before they join you in anything you do
If you really want your son to join you in anything you do, your answer should always be yes. Also, remember when he was so shy that he wouldn’t let anyone come over.
11. Keep plenty of toys and musical instruments
Keep plenty of toys and musical instruments like Catan, a game, and several ukuleles to give the boys lots of fun things to fill their time instead of fun things that may not impress you.
12. Respect your teenager’s dignity
Respect your teenager’s dignity. If there’s a need for products like acne lotion or deodorant, they can be purchased discreetly and left encouragingly. Additionally, close the door when doing the things you used to do in the bathroom with an open door in the past.
13. Knock before entering
Knock before entering. In fact, you might want to knock on the wall outside the door before you approach it to knock.
14. Take a picture of the huge pile of shoes by the front door
Take a picture of the huge pile of shoes by the front door.
An image of a huge pile of shoes by the front door because one day they won’t be there and you’ll want to remember them with tears.
15. Teach them important life skills
Teach them important life skills like how to send a thank you card, how to listen and ask questions, how to walk into the kitchen and say “put me to work,” how to call their representatives on an important issue, how to clean the bathroom and do laundry and whisk eggs, and how to sit patiently on the couch between their grandmothers as they hold new phones and nod slowly saying “here, let me show you.”
16. Moderation in using drugs
Consider moderation in using drugs instead of banning them. However, if you want to set one rule, let it be this rule: “Never try meth, crack, or heroin. Ever, ever, ever.” And explain to them how these drugs permanently affect their future (if you need to know more about it, research the information first).
17. Choose your battles
Choose your battles. Personal style is a form of self-expression of little importance; if their way of wearing their hair or jeans (hello, butt cracks!) isn’t your favorite, complain to a friend.
18. One night you will be late and they will be out in the car
One night you will be late and they will be out in the car, calm your heart.
19. Pretend you are tying your shoes so they won’t notice you inhaling their scalp smell
Pretend you are tying your shoes so they won’t notice you inhaling their intoxicating scalp smell.
20. When you lie in bed at night, your eyes moving around the room checking for any danger or sorrow, you will find your son safe in his bed, in his room, in your home. And you will remember to be very grateful. Because one day you will buy him a memory foam mattress and a set of long twin sheets, and he will leave behind a boy-shaped hole that breaks your heart.
When you lie in bed at night, your eyes moving around the room checking for any danger or sorrow, you will find your son safe in his bed, in his room, in your home. And you will remember to be very grateful. Because one day you will buy him a memory foam mattress and a set of long twin sheets, and he will leave behind a boy-shaped hole that breaks your heart.
21. Wherever they go, physically or emotionally, they will come back to you. And when they return, open your motherly arms and your motherly heart wide. Wide open.
Wherever they go, physically or emotionally, they will come back to you. And when they return, open your motherly arms and your motherly heart wide. Wide open.
These are 21 absolute rules for raising teenage boys. These rules may be personal and depend on the individual circumstances of each family, so they should be adapted to your own circumstances and applied accordingly. Remember to love your children deeply and abundantly, to be kind to them and respect them, to teach them important life skills, to be trustworthy, to talk to them about consent, to keep plenty of toys and musical instruments, to respect their dignity, to knock before entering, to take a picture of the huge pile of shoes by the front door, to teach them the importance of choosing battles, to be ready for ignored questions from the open fridge, to enjoy the beautiful, sweet, and funny boy, to teach them to respect women, to enjoy fun conversations, to love them for sleeping in too late, to be kind to your child, to prepare for the ignored questions from the open fridge, to know the term “second dinner,” to enjoy the beautiful, sweet, and funny boy, to be trustworthy, to talk to them about consent, to accept them joining you in whatever you’re doing, to keep plenty of toys and musical instruments, to respect your teenager’s dignity, to knock before entering, to take a picture of the huge pile of shoes by the front door, to teach them important life skills, to moderate drug use, to choose your battles, to be prepared for ignored questions from the open fridge, to pretend you are tying your shoes so they won’t notice you inhaling their scalp smell, to enjoy the beautiful, sweet, and funny boy, to teach them that they will return to you, and when they do return, open your motherly arms and your motherly heart wide.
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