Parent Goals

#1 When Teens need Help

Teens vary considerably in the ways that they initiate interactions with parents. Parents are helped to become more aware of, and responsive to, their adolescent's efforts to connect with them. Soome teen experimentation with risk is normal, but risky behaviors and stress can become a problem during adolescence. Parents are helped to know what to look for and hat to do whena teen may need help due to issues such as: depression/suicide, drug use, sexual activity/pregnancy.

#2 Youth Voice

It is quite important nd valuable for parents to include teens in family decision-making processes. Teens are more likely to be cooperative with parents when teens feel that their views and opinions have been heard and seriously considered by their parents.

#3 Rules, Boundaries, and Consequences

As cildren move into and progress through the teenage years, rules, boundaries and consequences remain important, but they need to change over time. Rules and consequences need to be adjusted to fit the maturity level and behaviors od the adolescent. Boundaries involve setting reasonable parameters within which teens can make their own decisions.

#4 Autonomy

Adolescence is a time of learning skills that will be needed in adulthood. Adolescent independence can be fostered by parents offering their adolescents increasing opportunities for responsibility-taking and freedom as the teen matures. As teens learn to handle greater freedom and more complex responsibilities they are becoming prepared for the adult roles they will one day assume.

#5 Gender Stereotypes

It is normal to catagorize people to help us know what to expect; however, stereotyping can lead to faulty expectations and misunderstanding. Parents are helped to focus on the unique qualities of their adolescents and to increase their understanding of why holding expectations of their teens based on gender stereotypes can be limiting and lead to a lack of support for their children's greatest talents and skills.

#6 Open Communication

The core of a good parent-adolescent relationship is effective communication. Parents are helped to learn how to keep the lines of communication open with their teens, and why this matters. If multiple goals are to be addressed in a program, goal 6 is often a good starting point.

#7 Parent-Teen Conflict

Inevitably, parents and teens will engage in arguments. Most parent-teen arguments are about day-to-day mundane matters. Some degree of conflict is actually healthy, as is promotes logical thinking and negotiation skills in adolescents. For some families, conflict may be too frequent or intense. For these situations, ways to deal with conflicts effectively and positively are addressed.

#8 Sensitive Topics

Raising adolescents means that parents and teens will face the need to talk about sensitive topics, such as: sexuality, drugs, peer pressure, dating, depression, and academic problems. There are some general steps that parents can take to be better prepared to discuss sensitive topics with their teens. This session can be integrated with other materials that focus on a specific topic that is of concern for a particular audience.

#9 Accepting the Whole Person of Your Adolescent

A central part of adolescence is figuring out who you are (identity). As adolescents explore their identities they may question their values, religious beliefs, and goals. A parent may find the choices of their adolescents frustrating at times. However, unless these choices and putting the adolescent at risk, it is important for parents to be accepting of who their adolescent is becoming as a person, even if some aspects of the adolescent are not consistant with whom the parent would like the adolescent to be. Acceptance promotes long lasting positive relationships between parents and their children (and grandchildren).

#10 Nurturing Tolerance in Your Teen

A hate crime occurs every hour. Hate crimes include using racial slurs, handing out racist pamphlets, threatening phone calls, hate mail, physical assaults, destruction of religious symbols, and fire bombings. Every day, people become victims because of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, size or abilities. Teens experience intolerance when they are perpetrators, victims or witnesses of bullying in their schools and communities. Parents are helped to become aware of how they can nurture empathy and respect for others in their teens. Promoting tolerance has never been more important than it is today.