From books to blogs and Instagram posts to Facebook groups – parents today are rarely without a place to turn when it comes to advice and community. Sometimes though, it’s hard to know where to start, and sifting through the expanse of parenting content can feel like information overload. We’ve curated topical expert advice On Responsibility to get you started.
Teenagers are faced with countless pressures – on top of academics, sports, and extracurriculars, kids today are growing up with technology, social media and increased stress and anxiety. Navigating these years with your kids can prove overwhelming for any family; giving them the tools to make good decisions despite the pressure and stress they may face is crucial.
On Responsibility is a video series featuring unique leaders in parenting and beyond. Our experts offer thoughtful and practical advice to parents as they navigate the teenage years with their kids, sharing skills and tips they’ve learned to help raise responsible teenagers.
“I think early on we want to be helping our kids develop an understanding of how they notice their emotions, how they express them, and also how they foster compassion and love for the emotional experiences they have…”
“When it comes to helping your kids understand the value, you’ve got to make it fun. You got to find things that are personally interesting and meaningful to them. As a parent myself, I introduce my kids to a variety of interesting physical activit[ies].”
“You want to start to lay the foundation of healthy living and making good decisions…teach them about healthy diet, exercise, a good night’s sleep, when to say no, how to stick up for themselves. These are all skills that they will utilize as they become adolescents and as they grow on to be adults.”
“I feel that far too often, we underestimate our children’s ability to pick up on the world around them. They are always watching and seeing and processing. So then if they’re seeing it, it’s time to have that conversation.”
“Great parenting is asking great questions. You help them find out really what is it they want, because in doing that they begin to take ownership—and ultimately responsibility—for the path they’re going to choose.”
“Students need to have some built-in resiliency, some built-in time management skills so that they can learn their best ways of coping with life on life’s terms.”
“The adolescent brain is such a vulnerable organ, because it is actively being programmed, and things that interfere with that programming have a long-lasting consequence. […] I think working on the idea that allowing kids to know more about their brains is a quite positive avenue for protecting them.”
“Parents have a responsibility to provide their kids with a safe space where they can be themselves, a place where they can get tips for feeling better, and where they can know that they are loved for who they are.”
“What we’ve found through over a decade of working with teenage girls through our leadership academy, is that if you put a young girl in the position to have the confidence to make a good decision, she’ll make that good decision.”
“Mindfulness can help with avoiding risky behaviors because it allows you to be in the present moment, to perhaps recognize that you need to make a different decision, one that will lead to more positive outcomes.”