Close....Forever

The teenage years are a crucial time where it's difficult for a parent to straddle the line between being friend and parent. Trust is something that is built over the years. You start when your chidren are young so that when they hit the critical adlescent years, they know that you are someone whom they can run to, someone whom they can share their deepest fears and secrets with.
Trust is a two-way street; you get it if you give it. For example, if you want your child to trust you with the truth about what is going on in their lives, and you want a relationship built on trust, you have to trust in the other person as much as you do in yourself.

Here are some ways that you can earn your teener's trust:

1. Set clear boundaries and define what trust means to each of you.
2. Practice the art of active listening
3. Anything that is discussed with you must be kept in the strictest of confidence.
4. Talk to them as adults while remembering that they are still kids.
5. Ask the right questions without making it seem like they are being grilled.
6. Try as much as possible not to be judgmental.
7. Treat your teenager with the same respect you would have them treat you.
8. Don't shut your teenager out to show your disapproval and do not use emotional blackmail.
9. "Hang Out" with your child and find teachable moments.


The best way to become a better parent is to allow your inner child out to play once in a while especially when you are with your children. Though they know their boundaries and are cognizant of when they toe the line, they also know that you are not just a parent but a friend as well whom they can trust and run to on happy days and days when the going gets rough.