Young people going through the process of adolescence need what they have always needed from their parents. Keeping this in mind, parents should understand that children do not belong to them, they belong to God and as a parent, they are just custodians of them to raise them in a godly way.

Teenagers want love, support, encouragement, appreciation, nurture, attention, acceptance. One of the flashpoints with teenagers may be a conflict between parents' wish to fulfill these needs and a teenager’s supposed desire to get frustrated or unrealistic about them.

Teenage is such a critical period in everyone’s life that they seek to grab attention, they feel pressured in many situations as a result get frustrated easily. So parents and elders should treat them as children without hampering their personal space. They should cooperate in their children’s activities and guide them too.

Adolescence is the time for choices. It is when they have to decide what courses they will study, what path they will take at least for their early life. Here, parents and teenagers may get an argument over so many options because the young person is making decisions or choices based on inexperience and on temporary and trivial deciders. In all these cases it’s the duty and responsibility of parents and elders to acknowledge and respect their choices which doesn’t mean giving them guidance and advice.

Encouragement is very important for teenagers as it gives them the hope they need to be healthy. Supporting them also is crucial. Your words have the power to build them up or tear them down.

There are some words/ things which teenagers need to hear:

• I am so proud to be your parent
• You have many great ideas
• You are a thoughtful and creative person
• You have got a terrific sense of humor
• You are very honest, which is essential to God
• You have got a great personality
• I like that you are so generous
• I know you are going to be successful in whatever you do in your life

Hence these are some of the things which when heard by teens make them feel good and encouraged.

Teenagers should be given motivation for the development of their minds and activities. Students who lack these often display a gap between their abilities and their academic output and effort. They can also lose their self-esteem, confidence, and enthusiasm. Teenagers should get a positive response in every work they get involved in. Many parents and elders also exist who always try to demotivate their child in the thought of mind that they would grow and try to do better. But this put a negative impact on the minds of teenagers, they get down and depressed and the ability to do better things gradually decreases.


How to Encourage?

Encouragement is about acknowledging the growth, effort, character, or feeling of your teenager. When you encourage it's often about who your teenager is rather than their performance and what your teenager achieves. Encouragement can be offered in a special event or in the course of everyday life.

Some of the effective forms are:

• Offering them your gratitude
• Giving them your appreciation as to acknowledge their positive aspects
• Showing them your confidence about believing in them
• Helping your teens to grow and improve their skills
• Feeling confident about their choices in small things

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