Teenagers tend to get support and depend on them, usually giving importance to their relationships with close friends. I spend most of my time with my friends who study and work together at school, and often even show more trust and trust than friends.
Being friends with them is always a face to face, and you can talk at any time. Parents need to pay attention to their children's friends. You may meet a good friend, but you may get along with a friend who has bad influence and leads to wrong behavior. Friendship of children and friends, how should we determine?
Be interested in your child's friends
Friendship is an essential value for the life of a teenager. Perhaps friends who look at school every day may be more familiar and comfortable than families at home. In addition, building strong friendships with people other than your own family means that you have the ability to have that much emotion and the ability to trust others outside your family.
It is important for parents to know more about their child friends at this time. Teenagers tend to talk openly with their friends, even if they do not show up or hide their parents. Because I feel that my parents will not understand myself. In the end, it means the generation gap.
The first step in getting to know your child's friends is to start by asking questions naturally. Trying to show interest and interest to your child's friends, for example, asking them in a casual tone about who their friends are and how they spend time with each other.
After that, I use the method of inviting my friends to spend time after school or on weekends. It is the best opportunity to meet your child's friends and you can learn more and more as you watch how your children talk and act with each other.
It is also good to act actively with your friends, ask who your parents are, and see if you can become friends with them. Especially if you are a dual-income parent, it can be a good opportunity to ask your partner when you can not attend your children and events on a busy schedule.
Friendship is hard
On the other hand, it is difficult to make friends and build friendships. This can lead to a tendency to be overwhelmed by the surrounding situation. In this case, if it does not fit well with the child's tendency, it can lead to a big problem. The most common problem is the feeling of alienation.
Children of this age always belong to any group and want to be part of the group. However, contrary to his will, there is a possibility that when the group does not recognize or the tendency is different, it is excluded and alienated. Parents can ask about what happened to their child at that time and how their child can act with social skills.
Even if this is not the case, another negative problem may arise. Peer pressure can inevitably lead to malicious and bad behavior even if the child does not want it. This is normal for teenagers, but it is wise to intervene as a parent if you fall into a somewhat dangerous situation, such as drugs, alcohol or sexual activity. So that the child can fully talk about and understand the effects on the behavior of the vices and the consequences thereof.
How to deal with toxic friendships
Again, parents must intervene in these friends and friendships of their children. Because your child can eventually fall into a toxic friendship that hurts or negatively affects his or her life, it is desirable to observe it carefully and to respond appropriately. It is important to always pay attention to whether or not you have bad words in your conversations with your kids and friends, or if you do not do bad things or mention them.
If your child appears less happy or depressed in your relationship with a friend, it is good to approach your child in a calm and trustworthy manner. And make sure your child can speak your feelings without hesitation. And listen. Even if the child does not reveal his / her feelings, he / she should show his / her sympathy and respect.
