I have a teen. And he’s not much of a teen (he’s only 13), but he’s my teen and that entitles me to a few things. Like lording it over him that I’m an adult. (Ha! Take that, 13-year old!). But, it also has made me contemplate the coming 5 more years of teen-angst headed my way. Then the 10 more I will experience with my two girls that are, currently (thankfully), toddlers. Based on this extensive thoughtful contemplation and a few trial-and-error experiments on my part, I have formulated these 5 Crazy Teen Hacks I Wish I’d Known Before I Had a Teen. Seriously, they would have helped a year ago when he became a teen…
5 Crazy Teen Hacks I Wish I’d Known Before I Had a Teen
- They Can Be Bribed. It doesn’t matter with what–they’ll take stickers even, if they’re cute. Trust me on this. The Hack: Carry cash, a candy bar or a data plan in your back pocket at all times, just in case you need a bribe on the fly.
- Words Bore Them. Seriously. That’s why the stop paying attention about 5 words in to any conversation with you. The Hack: Small, short sentences, direct and to the point. No chatting to warm-up to your idea…just get it out. Then move on.
- Never Let Them Congregate. If your teen daughter asks to have a sleepover, deny until you die–only one friend at a time. They have a mind-think like you can’t imagine and if they smell parent-blood in the water, they will circle and pounce. Avoid at all costs. The Hack: If you see them in a group larger than 3 strong, walk the other way.
- Divide and Conquer. You might think this is the same as #3, but you’d be a fool. The Hack: Get them one-on-one without any backup and you might be able to rationalize with them. Separate them from the herd–including all electronic devices.
- They are Not Adults. Despite how tall, how much facial hair they might sport, or even if they act like it most of the time. They are still children and will act like it (if even periodically)–and that means that you, who are the adultier adult, despite your desire, are in charge. The Hack: Remind them that they’re welcome to grow up at any point in time. They do this one thing, then they can be the adultier adult–and let them know you welcome them to it. Heh.
So, what do you think of these 5 Crazy Teen Hacks I Wish I’d Known Before I Had a Teen? Will you be implementing them? Leave me a comment to let me know if I missed anything–or if these ideas work-out for you! LOL!