Parenting in Times of Uncertainty

By Girl Above

Model a flexible mindset & lead with empathy

Life isn’t always perfect, and in this season it feels like unexpected changes are happening all the time. Teach your teen about how they can manage their expectations during this season.

We all experience uncomfortable emotions

This one goes out to all my pre-teens who are figuring out what emotions are and constructing ways to appropriately deal with them. Help them construct ways to process their emotions and recognize it’s okay if they’re not always happy ones, and sometimes we feel feelings that could be uncomfortable. Help them make sense of these.

Space over answers

Teens are growing and developing and need to construct how to do things on their own. It’s so easy for us to tell them what or how to think but it’s actually more beneficial to their development if you allow them space and empathy to discover what they need on their own. A little coaching here and there is totally fine but always remember to lead with space!!

Recognize how remote and online learning has had an effect on them in more ways than just one.

Your teen is trying to adjust to their new normal just as you are, so have that be an opportunity for you to be able to relate to your child, and empathize with them knowing you both are going through very similar things.

Talk to them openly about all the adjustments you’ve had to make and how those adjustments weren’t always easy. Tell them about what you found was helpful and how that may be helpful for them too.

So many of my teens have said they simply have a difficult time writing down their schedule or they are unsure which assignments go where. Something as simple as sitting down with your teen and figuring out what’s confusing to them could be very beneficial to their academic performance in the long run.

Recognize how this time has had an effect on their social life.

I’m sorry parents, your teens love you but they’re also entering into a space that they may not always want to hang out with you. They are finding out who they are and what they wanna be about and that means spending more time in relationship with their friends and maybe less time at home. Find ways to still support your teen to do so and find a balance that is both safe and works best for you and your home during this time.

I really hope this was beneficial for you today. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. You have no idea how much your relationships with your teen matters to them through this time of chaos, confusion, and uncertainty. Let it bring you and your teen together, rather than allowing frustration and tension to tear you and your family apart.