Great topic Mike. It made me think back to being the age of your students, and realized how much I forgot during the transition from student to parent. I’m sure I would have benefited, having students to remind me of how I may have felt back then.
Interesting topic and a well written article. Having raised 2 sons and having 4 grandchildren, the youngest 2 at 18 and soon leaving teenager status, I wanted to input my old man's perspective.
Let me add, my sons and grand kids are academically, morally and ethically superior to who I was way, way back then in the 50's and 60's.
It's necessary to remember, LIFE IS NOT FAIR, and some are PRIVILEGED and some are behind the 8 ball to start with. Very few, however, don't have at least a few old maid cards to deal with in life's deck dealt.
The most privileged are those who grow up in a stable family with BOTH mother and father as role models, if they are good ones. One parent can be missing if there is an excuse, death or absent on family duty such as service. The missing parent can then be an imaginary ideal.
I assume teenager means the time of puberty from 13 to 19 when hormones go amuck and the child breaks out of doing what told to exploring what they want to do as if an adult.
This is when "friends" are more important to the child than family and when parent's stories, once enthralling, are now boring.
Parents need to do 2 things, provide strict guidelines of what is expected and give the child freedom to screw up on their own.
The latter is dangerous once 16 comes with cars and friends taking off to who knows where. It's a scary time, especially now that hatchling broods are small and often only of a single egg.
In addition, try to incorporate positive support services. School sports are excellent with football the best but now days only a few can play it. Even band or any school social function membership is positive.
Churches are a strong positive influence. I have a wonderful grand daughter whose father exclaimed he didn't know how they could have succeeded raising without church membership.
When they screw up, there needs to be direct consequences, because that's how real life works. When they do something smart, let them wallow in their brilliance. Make sure they understand where money comes from and how it limits or expands options.
Lastly, drugs are the BIG no no. If they get drunk, not a big deal but POT is NO! NO! NO! because over and over I've seen it lead to other drugs and the start of the journey to homeless status. Tell them, if they want to get a tattoo or smoke pot wait until they're 21 and can do a parachute jump and you will do it with them. By 21 the "friends" cult will have broken down and they won't do it, (at least thank God in my case).
Great insight
Great topic Mike. It made me think back to being the age of your students, and realized how much I forgot during the transition from student to parent. I’m sure I would have benefited, having students to remind me of how I may have felt back then.
Interesting topic and a well written article. Having raised 2 sons and having 4 grandchildren, the youngest 2 at 18 and soon leaving teenager status, I wanted to input my old man's perspective.
Let me add, my sons and grand kids are academically, morally and ethically superior to who I was way, way back then in the 50's and 60's.
It's necessary to remember, LIFE IS NOT FAIR, and some are PRIVILEGED and some are behind the 8 ball to start with. Very few, however, don't have at least a few old maid cards to deal with in life's deck dealt.
The most privileged are those who grow up in a stable family with BOTH mother and father as role models, if they are good ones. One parent can be missing if there is an excuse, death or absent on family duty such as service. The missing parent can then be an imaginary ideal.
I assume teenager means the time of puberty from 13 to 19 when hormones go amuck and the child breaks out of doing what told to exploring what they want to do as if an adult.
This is when "friends" are more important to the child than family and when parent's stories, once enthralling, are now boring.
Parents need to do 2 things, provide strict guidelines of what is expected and give the child freedom to screw up on their own.
The latter is dangerous once 16 comes with cars and friends taking off to who knows where. It's a scary time, especially now that hatchling broods are small and often only of a single egg.
In addition, try to incorporate positive support services. School sports are excellent with football the best but now days only a few can play it. Even band or any school social function membership is positive.
Churches are a strong positive influence. I have a wonderful grand daughter whose father exclaimed he didn't know how they could have succeeded raising without church membership.
When they screw up, there needs to be direct consequences, because that's how real life works. When they do something smart, let them wallow in their brilliance. Make sure they understand where money comes from and how it limits or expands options.
Lastly, drugs are the BIG no no. If they get drunk, not a big deal but POT is NO! NO! NO! because over and over I've seen it lead to other drugs and the start of the journey to homeless status. Tell them, if they want to get a tattoo or smoke pot wait until they're 21 and can do a parachute jump and you will do it with them. By 21 the "friends" cult will have broken down and they won't do it, (at least thank God in my case).