How Knowing His Friends’ Parents Can Lighten Your Load

How_Knowing_His_Friends_Parents_Can_Lighten_Your_Load

When your children are younger, you know their friends and even their friends’ parents, who are likely your friends as well. You have met through Boy Scouts, band, sports or other extra-curricular activities, sometimes connecting for hours while your children spent time at events. Perhaps you even carpooled or socialized outside of your child’s chosen activity, enjoying social events at each other’s homes. However, as your child grows, connecting with other parents might not seem as important. But working with other parents can help you lighten your load as your child matures.

Ways to Meet Other Parents

Once your children grow older, you might struggle to connect with other parents. The following tips can help:

  • Introduce yourself at school events or ask your son to introduce you to his friends and their parents.
  • Take an extra minute or two to go to the door when you drop your teen off at a friend’s house.
  • When your son is invited to an event, call and ask if you can bring food.

Build Relationships

No matter your child’s age, take the time to build relationships with the parents of your son’s friends. Invite them over or suggest meeting at a local coffee shop to chat. Schedule a small get together or an activity, such as bowling or miniature golf, that both parents and teens will enjoy. You can talk about shared goals and values, expectations and future plans.

Join Forces

By understanding the values of other parents, you will find out if you are on the same page. This will give you the confidence to speak into their child’s life — and they will feel the same freedom to address possible issues with your child. For example, if your son’s grades start slipping, you might enlist the resources of another trusted adult who can encourage your child in a unique way. While your teen might resist your correction, he might be more accepting when receiving input from the parent of a friend. http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/going-to-school/social/what-can-parents-do/

Tackling Underage Drinking

Casually bring up the subject of teen drinking at a get together as a general concern. You might also mention a related news story and ask the other parent’s opinion on the topic. You can ask how the other person addresses alcohol discussions with their young person. Possibly discuss their rules regarding alcohol. If your son is invited to a sleepover, call to make sure that parents will be present and that the children will not have access to alcohol. You can make statements similar to the following:

  • “Can I call you sometimes to touch base about what the kids are up to? Please feel free to call me as well.”
  • “Should your teen text or call you while he or she is at my house?”
  • “If my son is ever drinking or involved in any other concerning behavior, please call me. Let me know if you would like us to this for you.”

Request Free Admissions Information

Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

Written by Natalie

20 Mar, 2016

Recent Posts

Why We Are Seeing an Increase in Teen Anxiety

Why We Are Seeing an Increase in Teen Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural response to stress and fear. For years teens have been facing increasing pressure from school, sports commitments, family concerns, and even peer issues. With everything they’re struggling with, it makes sense that they would have increased...

Let’s Get Creative! How to Spark Your Teens Creative Side.

Let’s Get Creative! How to Spark Your Teens Creative Side.

While the summertime can burst with days of full-filled activities, most of the time is probably downtime for your teenager. This isn't bad; after all, time for rest and recovery is imperative. However, too many days of quiet time can lead to boredom for kids of all...

8 Ways to Stay Connected To Your Teen

8 Ways to Stay Connected To Your Teen

We live in an increasingly interconnected world. This is why it can sometimes be baffling that it’s not always easy to connect and stay connected with your teen. Most of the time, we have communication devices in our hands, using them to connect through social media...

Shy Teen? How to Make Friends!

Shy Teen? How to Make Friends!

If you are shy, you probably know how frustrating it can be to try and make friends. This is particularly true if you have to move to a new school or town and you don’t know anyone. Thankfully, some excellent ways to make friends when you are a little shy will work no...

Defiant Teen Behavior Lying and Stealing

Defiant Teen Behavior Lying and Stealing

Rarely do you meet a person who never tells a lie. Even the best of us may stretch the truth when serving our needs. Children and teens will often tell lies to get themselves out of trouble. It can become frustrating when a teen starts to act out, be defiant, and...

Summer Fun Tips for Tweens

Summer Fun Tips for Tweens

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of the end of the school year. For parents, it can mean fewer mornings rushing around and fewer afternoons ferrying kids to an assortment of activities. For students, it means a long summer of fun stretching ahead of them...

You May Also Like…

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *