Helping Your Adult Teen With Money

Ok, so they turn the big 18....what does this mean?  They are adults.  Well, yes, and no. What I mean is, that when a person becomes 18, they are legally an adult. Society says so. However, I know that just because you turn this magical number, doesn't always mean that you are ready to jump into the adult world. What about checking and banking?  What about credit cards? A place of your own? How about all those bills that go along with moving out and being on your own?  I think that a large number of 18-yr olds get out into the world and are not really ready to jump in head first, so it's really important that they learn as much as possible before they turn 18. Most high schools offer "life" classes, which is really good....but have you sat down with your teen and talked to them about these kind of things? With my daughter, I made sure that I taught her how to go out and apply for a job, opened up a checking account and explained to her how to use it, and not only that, I taught her how to save some of her money as well. For teens, and actually for a good many of us, saving is hard, and sometimes next to impossible. Start with a small amount to see if it works. My daughter hasn't tried to get a credit card yet, so it's all good for now, however, I know that the day will come, and she has already started out good by getting her cell phone in her own name and keeping up with the bills. Maybe that's a decent start. If you haven't sat down with your teen to talk about money and the future, maybe now is the time !

Keeping The Lines Of Communication Open

How do you go about keeping your teen out of trouble? Sometimes it just seems that some girls are easier to raise than others. I have had 3 daughters and the first one was a little harder to raise than the second. My youngest daughter, my sweet teen, is just very easy going and seems to listen to what I have to say. Since she was young, we have always had a great relationship. Now that she is almost 17, it seems that she is getting more independent and wanting to do more for herself. I have found that keeping her interested in some sort of sport, but not keeping her TOO busy has worked for me. I have found that by her having time to have fun, chores to keep up with, her horse riding and competing, with a bit of relaxing time to do nothing has worked! This has lead to her having a part-time job so that she can learn to manage her own money and things are still going smoothly. Horses are her life, her future and she has learned all the basics of keeping her horse, as well as the clean up, so she's learned how to have some sort of responsibility. Not everybody can manage a horse though but there are so many sport opportunities out there to enjoy. Talk to your teen, see what interests that they may have....be open to what they say, and try to keep your avenues of communication open....that's what has worked for me.

Teens And Selective Hearing

It seems like the more I give my opinion, the more it's not appreciated. I know that sometimes as parents, we want to give our teens our opinions because we've been there.....done that. My daughter will listen to my advice most of the time, but then there are those times that she acts like it went through one ear and out the other....it's soooooo frustrating. My child is growing up and will be 17 years old next month, and with only one more year of high school to go, she seems to be making pretty good choices in life. However, she doesn't always do what I think she's gonna do and when I point things out to her, it's as if I didn't say anything at all. I thought that most males are the ones that have the selective hearing, but now I have to say it's girls too.....and I am speaking of my teen right now. (sigh).....

School's Back In Session

Today was the first day back to school and my poor dear darling daughter was very nervous....and not because it was a new school or anything, but just because. Sometimes teen daughters just have those feelings of uneasiness, but it's okay....I know that by the end of the school day, she will come home all excited about seeing her friends again and talking about the new classes she has.
Give your teen moral support and let her/him know that you understand their nervousness but that everything will be fine. Show interest in their new classes and what they have going on. For me, I enjoy hearing all about what she's thinking and what's going on with her, and I think this keeps the door open for a great parent/child (teen) relationship.

How Talking To Your Teen Really Helps

Talking to my teen is mostly easy, but that's because we have always had a good repore and can talk to each other, however, I have had 4 other teens before her that weren't as easy to talk with. Starting early at having nice and calm discussions really make a difference. I have also found that talking things over and giving them a chance to voice their opinion is also good. You don't have to always agree with their thoughts, but you can find out more about how they are thinking by listening. From the beginning, I have let my teens know what I expect from them and if they don't follow the rules, what will happen. Finding the right discipline really helps and for me, it's all about letting her do things and have some freedom but if she doesn't make wise choices then taking away the electronics make a difference....but she hasn't challenged that yet because she has seen her older brothers and sisters go through it and has decided not to upset the apple cart. Following through with what you say you will do is also something that must be done for them to understand that what you say, you mean. Take interest in what your teen says because it allows you to see inside of their world.

Do You Trust Your Teen?

Trust is a big issue with me and I have told my daughter that even if she's done something bad, I would rather hear it from her than getting told by someone else or having a lie told. Right now, we have great communication but teens can be somewhat secretive at times...don't we all know that? We have lived through our own teen years. Right now, I give her my trust because she hasn't done anything to make me doubt her. I don't know if things will change once she starts driving on her own and going back and forth places without me in the car...guess we will see when the time comes, but until she proves otherwise, my trust is in her.

What Are Teens Really Interested In?

Do you know your teen very well? Do you know what kind of person that he/she will be when they grow up and enter into adulthood? Right now is a very impressionable time in their lives and they are still watching us, just like they did when they were babies. I have discovered that even though they are still maturing, they still offer a pretty good topic of conversation, along with the silly stuff as well. My daughter has already decided what she wants in life, and is gearing her goals toward that. Every child is different and I am finding out so much as I get older. My teen seems to be interested in what's happening in today's world.....as well as what goes on at school and her friends, but she seems to know quite alot about many things. I remember when I was her age, I wasn't worried about what was going on with the world as much, just about myself. Have you held a decent conversation with your teen lately? If not, you might want to start by talking about small topics, allowing them to express their opinions without any arguments. If so, isn't it nice to see what they have to say?

Teen Role Models

The grammys came and went, and then on the news I hear about Chris Brown getting arrested for assault. This is a young man, only 19 years of age, who has his whole life in front of him, and at this time of his life, he has had the great fortune to make alot of money with his music. So, when he does something, teens listen. What about Miley Cirus and all the hoop-la we have heard about her that gets people turning their brows up. She is in a position of being a role model as well. Not just these 2 young people out there, but many others who are in positions that our teens look up to. Honestly, if I had been able to make that kind of money and success at their ages, I think that I would have to say that I would have been more careful about the things that I do, especially when others are looking on. They live in the public eye for goodness sakes! I told my darling daughter that everyone in life makes mistakes but there's always a price that you pay if you make the wrong choices in life. You don't have to be famous to learn that type of lesson. Make the right choices in life, doing what you know is right and treat others the way that you want to be treated. And if it so happens that you DO make mistakes, because we all do, you just have to get right back up and correct them. I guess, easier said than done. Right?

When Your Teen Becomes Secretive

Although I have 4 grown children and 1 teen left, I am still puzzled by the many differences they have. Raising a teen has just gotten so much harder than it used to be, due to the many dangers in this world today. I do have to say though, that my daughter is a very strong young lady and she is head-strong in what's right and wrong, which is a very good thing. Now that she's getting a little older, I have noticed that there are times that she seems a bit secretive, especially when she's on a phone conversation. I know that this is part of growing up and asserting some independence, but what do you do if it's a bit too much? Would you try to listen in on the conversation? Or do you just go about your business and pray that all is well? I think alot of the answer lies in the actions of your child. If you have laid down your boundaries and they are followed, should you let them have their privacy? Do you talk to your teen about what's going on in her life? Luckily, mine does share some things with me, but I'm sure there's still other things that I don't know.