Knowing Your Teens Friends Can Improve Your Relationship

Knowing Your Teens Friends Can Improve Your Relationship

As parents we often struggle with being in our teens’ lives and balancing their need for freedom and autonomy. However, striking the balance, especially when it comes to knowing their friends, is a crucial part of the parent-teen contract. And, we should be considering a contract relationship because it is obligation to parent our teens, whether they like it or not, and we cannot do our jobs effectively without knowing who our teens are spending time with. It’s really that simple…putting it into practice maybe not so much.

Getting To Know Your Teen’s Friends

Knowing your teens’ friends is not an option. It is not over involvement or even helicopter parenting; it is meeting your responsibility as a parent. How you go about maintaining a relationship with your teens’ friends is probably going to be individual as your teens. No cookie cutter methods. If you know your child and you are looking for the right opening, getting to your teens’ friends can be as natural as getting to know your own friends.

Just Chillax—A Houseful Of Teenagers Doesn’t Have To Be Scary

There is no need for elaborate schemes or forcing your child to introduce every single one of their friends in a formal manner. Use your child’s own natural temperament as a tool to guide frequent and regular contact with their friends. Perhaps your daughter is naturally social so maybe you could ask her to invite her friends over for a backyard barbeque or girl’s night of makeovers or binge-watching their favorite show. This is not going to work for your bookish daughter or most sons, however. Make friend contacts according to your teen’s interests and there will be less chance of the “Really, whatever!” moments. When you have a houseful, make sure each teen knows what your ‘house rules’ are and then be prepared for them to test them. Should they push your boundaries, respond swiftly and make sure they know they are welcome to come back again as long as they agree to follow your rules. Additionally, make a point to interact with your teens’ friends in as many situations as possible.

Knowing Is Half The Battle

Raising teens today is hard enough without trying to deal with mystery friends. However, monitoring your teens’ friends is one of the simplest ways to spot potential danger early. When teens more from normal teen angst to more serious issues like drugs or alcohol, one of the earliest changes is a change in their crowd. It’s not foolproof of course because your teens can be involved with those things without changing friends. But, sudden changes in their circle should be an immediate red flag.

Should you suspect your teen or any of their friends are involved with substance abuse or other risky behaviors it is also your responsibility to notify parents and the authorities depending on the severity of the issue. If it is your child, the natural evolution of your responsibility as a parent is to seek help with your teen’s issues. The earlier you respond to troubled teen behavior the less likely it will morph into something from which they may not recover.

Request Free Admissions Information

Step 1 of 3 - Your Contact Info

Written by Natalie

30 Mar, 2016

Recent Posts

Does Cost Impact the Quality of Troubled Teen Programs?

Does Cost Impact the Quality of Troubled Teen Programs?

Many factors come to mind when considering a treatment program for your teenager. From location and specialty to care provided and length of the program, it's vital to consider all the finite details before making a final selection on a behavioral school, military...

Teens and Sexting, How to Protect Your Teen

Teens and Sexting, How to Protect Your Teen

It may not be something that you want to think about your teen taking part in, but sexting is a very real issue that many are facing today. It’s uncomfortable for parents to think about and of course uncomfortable to discuss with teens. And, none of us think our teens...

Programs for Teens With Bad Behavior

Programs for Teens With Bad Behavior

Is your teen’s behavior out of control? If his behavior has progressed from what is considered the norm for a rebellious teenager, you may struggle with knowing the next step to take to help your teen get his behavior back on track. Timeouts worked when he was a...

Do Teen Military Boot Camps Really Work?

Do Teen Military Boot Camps Really Work?

How much do you know about teen boot camps? Are you curious about whether a military boot camp could be the right choice to help your teen work through the issues he’s struggling with? Boot camps for teens are often highlighted in a negative way when they pop up in...

Helping Teens Struggling With PTSD

Helping Teens Struggling With PTSD

Has your teen experienced trauma that he doesn’t know how to process and heal from? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can leave long-lasting mental health issues that may follow your teen into adulthood. Without getting into a treatment program that addresses...

No One Likes Me, How Do I Fit In?

No One Likes Me, How Do I Fit In?

When you find it difficult to make friends, it can feel like you’re alone and no one likes you. While it’s true that not every person will click with you, it could just be that you’ve not yet found the best ways to connect with those around you. It’s hard to make...

You May Also Like…

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

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