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Teen-Friendly Family Outings
By Sharon Waldrop
In their quest for independent selves, teenagers may reject or be resistant to what they think their parents want them to do. Family events might be fun to them, but may make them feel as though they're being held back from their independence.
"Often these events are in fact boring to the adolescent and mostly for the benefit of the adults. Parents may want their teenagers to go for the parents' own sake, often wanting to hold onto them and not recognizing it," Ginsberg says.
Ginsberg recommends a way to approach this potential conflict. Negotiate as much as possible so that the teen feels that his needs are taken into consideration. When it is really important to the parent for the teenager to attend a family event, the parent can negotiate a compromise such as bringing a friend or doing something at the event that is strictly for the adolescent.
The above approach may not always help and a teen may still argue about a request to accompany the family. Ginsberg says parents should "maintain a respectful attitude toward the adolescent as much as possible and be willing to accept the adolescent not going when it may not be that important to the parent."
So, what do you have planned with your teenager this week? If there is nothing on the calendar, ask you teen what she would like to do. The answer might surprise you