From our Guidance Officer
Relationships change during the teenage years. Although your child might want more privacy and more time with friends, family love and support are still very important. They help your child learn how to make responsible decisions and build caring relationships.
Adolescence can be a difficult time - your child is going through rapid physical and emotional changes. Young people aren’t always sure where they fit, and they’re still trying to work it out. Adolescents also need support with peer influences and relationships.
During this time your family can be a secure emotional base where your child feels loved and accepted, no matter what’s going on in the rest of their life. Your family can build and support your child’s confidence, self-belief, optimism and identity.When your family sets rules, boundaries and standards of behaviour, you give your child a sense of consistency and predictability. And believe it or not, your life experiences and knowledge can be really useful to your child – they just might not always want you to know that!
Supportive and close family relationships can reduce risky teenage behaviour and your child’s feelings of being connected to school, and their desire to do well academically. Strong family relationships can go a long way towards helping your child grow into a well-adjusted, considerate and caring adult.
The attached link is a letter from teens to parents which provides strategies on how we can connect and understand our teenagers.