Today’s topic is a sponsored conversation by Coca-Cola.
The cliché is true: Atlanta natives and Southerners as a whole love their Coca-Cola! No other brand can compare in our eyes, and if we see you drinking anything else, we assume you are not from the South! So whenever I get to work with Coca-Cola, I jump at the chance! The truth is, when you add a little refreshing, ice-cold Coca-Cola to any situation, instantly things go from good to great. That also includes parenting teens!
As your teens get older, it can be a bit difficult to stay connected and in touch with them. Teens tend to get a bit embarrassed of their parents, and it’s so not cool to like your parents when you’re a teen. After all, us parents are pretty lame! LOL! However, it has always been very important for me to have a strong connection and create special lifetime memories with my children, even through those wonderful teenage years. I want my children to be able to look back when they are adults and remember all the special memories and traditions we created over the years. I have personally found there are many things that parents can do to get through it all and keep that strong bond with your teenagers without slipping into the embarrassing-parent category.
Here are a few tips for staying connected to your teens while making fun memories!
Talk With Them
This is probably the most important tip I can give you. It is so important to communicate with your teens on a regular basis. Be sure to have a sit-down talk with them occasionally to understand what they are going through and catch up with what is going on at school. Know what is happening in your child’s life so you can be sure they are OK and everything is going well. I usually do this when they come home from school each afternoon while they are eating their snack and, of course, enjoying that ice-cold Coca-Cola they have been waiting for all day!
Be Their Friend
Now, this can be a tricky one. You want to have a good balance of being their friend and being their parent. Being their friend is important because it helps you better understand where they are coming from and what is going on in their lives. But you also have to be able to be stern with them and give them the discipline they need when it is necessary. Be comfortable with them and allow them to trust that they can confide in you when they need to, but you also have to lay down the law sometimes.
Relate to Them
When your teen does something you may not understand or acts a way that may drive you insane, just remember you were a teenager at some point, too, and probably drove your parents crazy as well! So try to understand the best you can the reasons for their actions, and try to stay calm and assess the situation. Talk through it with them and try to fully understand and relate to what they are going through.
Let Them Help Plan Family Activities
This one of the best things I could do for our family. I actually allow them to make plans for the family around what they enjoy doing. They love that they have a voice in our family plans. And, honestly, we have a lot of fun because most of the time they are getting me out of my comfort zone! So that includes a lot of laughing at Mom!
Spend Quality One-on-One Time With Your Teen
During one of our family talks, my teens expressed that they wanted to start having more one-on-one time with me. I admit I used to do this regularly, but as they got older, I started lacking! Recently, we have started again, and it has been amazing! We spend the afternoon together doing what they want to do.
My son likes to spend our time playing games, shopping, and watching movies.
For my daughter, we are usually trying to do projects that we find on Pinterest, baking, or enjoying a nice walk in the park.
They really enjoy our alone moments with each other, and it’s a great way to connect on a deeper level.
I hope some of these ideas can help you connect with your teen and start making memories for them during their teen years! And remember, Coca-Cola is a co-pilot! Moms are responsible for making ordinary moments better, and we just happen to use Coke to help us!
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When you add refreshing Coca-Cola to any situation, things go from good to great. Because when you add a little delicious Coca-Cola, it all adds up to memories.