10 bad parenting habits you must avoid if you have teenagers.

Being a parent is not an easy task; with parenting comes greater responsibility and understanding. When a child enters the phase of a teenager, you may notice that they develop certain different characteristics; they undergo physical changes and behavioral changes. This stage can be very challenging for a parent and definitely put your patience to the test. However, it is essential at this stage to understand and avoid a few common mistakes we usually make as a parent.

Let’s look at ten bad parenting habits you must avoid if you have teenagers.

1. Spending less time

Building a bond takes time; it requires a lot of patience and understanding. You cannot expect your child to tell you everything if you don’t have time for them. However, when you remove time for your kid and talk to them as a parent, they start developing a bond and feel connected. Make it a point to clear some time for your kid each day, and while doing so, keep all work-related work and calls away.

2. Comparing and Criticizing

One of the most common habits of parents is comparing and criticizing. We as parents fail to understand that each child is unique in their own ways; comparing brings out no positivity, and it only portrays you as a bad parent, although you mean no bad for the child. Do not ever criticize your kids in comparison with others. This will demotivate them, and they might lose interest in anything they do.

3. Panic every time.

Being a parent is not easy, and it gets challenging when your kids are in the teenager phase of their life, but that does not mean you keep nagging at them all the time. Constant yelling and shouting can make them very stubborn and rigid. They might even start ignoring you to avoid yelling and screaming.

4. Not involved in discussions.

Isn’t it unfair when we expect our kids to share everything with us but often fail to do so from our point of view? We constantly push back, saying they are too small and might not understand or don’t need to know all this. But if you as a parent do not share things with your child, how can we expect our kids to do so. They need to trust you to share something with you, and trust is earned by communicating and building a bond.

5. Overdoing

Doing extra of everything results in nothing but a disaster. Your child is very capable of doing his work. You should avoid spoon-feeding them, it is necessary to make them realize that you are always there for them, but that does not mean doing everything they say even though it is wrong.

6. Being a poor listener

Children do what they see and learn; you cannot expect your child to listen to you all the time when you don’t care to listen to them. So let your child speak, listen to them and assure them you are listening to them and will always be there if they want to talk.

7. Noticing only wrong things they do

Kids do require their parents’ attention at times, but they often get it only when they have made a mistake. Instead of only noticing their mistakes, start appreciating them for their good works. Always maintain a balance.

8. Being very strict.

Many parents set rules for their children to follow that are understandable and necessary at times, but these rules should be flexible. You need to adjust and understand the child’s conditions and accordingly modify them. You cannot fix rules and expect them to be followed for years without considering the child’s development and growth.

9. You want them to follow the rules but you don’t follow them yourself

We often set rules like not to use phones while eating or not to use violence, but sometimes as parents, many fail to follow these rules themselves. This puts a bad example in front of teenagers

10. Name-calling

Do not call names on your child, do not enable tags; it only forces them to think that way. Saying “you stupid” and “you dumb”  will only cause them to believe in that manner and lower their self-esteem.

Teenagers need love, care, and trust. Doing extra of everything will not help you as a parent; you need to balance and have an open mind. Hear your children, give them time and be understanding.

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