Freshman/Sophomore Parent
Night Resources recommended by Dr. Hillery Keith:
You're Wearing That?
Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation by D. Tannen. Random
House 2006
I Only Say This Because
I Love You: Talking to Your Parents, Partner, Sibs, and Kids When You're All
Adults by D. Tannen. New York: Ballantine 2002
www.tarnowcenter.com
Tarnow Center for
Self-Management
The Tarnow Center is an interdisciplinary practice
incorporating the fields of psychiatry, psychology, speech and language,
education, vocational work and counseling.
www.parentteen.com
Parenting Teens
-
Offers a wide variety of information pertaining to parenting teens in today's
society.
http://cheis.memebot.com/index.html
Coalition of Higher Education
for Students
- Offers support and resources for the Latino community in the Houston
area.
TIPS FOR
PARENTS
Help Your Teen Make
Wise Decisions:
- Give your teen the
opportunity to make choices regarding non-critical areas, even when it would be
easier to tell them what to do.
- Ask your teens opinion about what should
be done in varying situations.
- Permit your teen to decide how to solve
problems; explore together the consequences of certain decisions.
- Let your
teen offer evidence to show they are ready for new privileges and
responsibilities.
- When conflicts arise, ask your teen to take
responsibility to resolve the situation in a way that works for all involved.
- If your teen is angry, have them cool down rather than making a rash
decision.
- Give your teens space to make poor (but not life-threatening)
decisions. Teens, like all of us, can learn from past mistakes.
- Offer
understanding when your teen makes mistakes in judgment, then discipline if
needed.
Acknowledge your teens good decisions. Point these successes out
when they are making future decisions.
Communicate With
Your Teen:
- Be available for your
teen. Try to make a time to talk to them each day.
- Praise your teen when
deserved and show them love. Even if it seems that it doesn’t matter to them, it
does!
- Show that you are paying attention using good eye contact and
listening skills.
- Be positive and encouraging.
- Give your teen the
chance to explain themselves before you jump to conclusions.
- Keep
communication avenues open; avoid using terms like "never" or "always," and
using guilt or judging words.
- Be brief, but get your message across. Teens
tend to tune out nagging while retaining the message of a shorter conversation
for a longer period.
- Practice supportive communication. A healthy
compromise between parents and teens leaves both feeling accomplished and
promotes good negotiating skills.
- Don’t feel like you have to know
everything. It is better to find things out together with your teen than to
misinform them.
*Adapted from The Positive Line
