Top 3 Tips For Parenting Teens

In some parts of the country kids have already returned to school.  Here in Minnesota we have just under two weeks to go until the mother's in this State are able to collectively exhale a sigh of relief.

For now, I'm down to one almost 14 year old boy living at home.  I say for now because I'm sure my two older girls will eventually boomarang home after college.

Many moms have kids going into High School for the first time.  I'm asked all the time for my tips on how to handle teen dating, discipline and more.  Okay, maybe I'm not asked so much as I push my parenting tips off on others.  Regardless, here you are and you are welcome.

My Top 3 Tips on Parenting Teens

1. Dating: If you would do it with your father, you can do it with your boyfriend.  This is what I told my daughter's when we discussed boundaries when dating as teens in high school.  They might sit close to dad, hold his hand and even kiss him on the cheek.  Anything they are willing to do with dad they can do with their boyfriend.

The great thing about sharing this tip with your teens and making it a rule, is that each time a boy makes a move on your teenage daughter, she will immediately think of her father.  My daughters have told me it is a total buzz kill as far as romance goes, therefore this works.  I'm not saying they won't possibly need therapy later.

2. Discipline: Contact your cell phone service provider and set it up so that you can shut off your teen's phone instantly.  Once kids stop believing in Santa there isn't much you can hold over them.  Whipping out your phone and threatening to call Santa to share that they are refusing to clean their room doesn't work anymore.  

What does work is shutting down their cell phone.  Most service providers have a way of doing this quite easily.  It takes a simple phone call to shut it off and a phone call to turn it back on, once your teen becomes compliant.  This handles the issue of sometimes not being able to physically take the cell phone from them.

3. Wardrobe: Wear your daughter's inappropriate clothes to her school.  Teenage girls often like to dress like hoochies.  The solution to this is simple.  The next time your daughter puts on a low cut top that screams "Cheap and desperate", threaten to wear it to pick her up from school.  Trust me when I say you only have to follow through on this one time before she knows you are serious.

Yes, it can be a little uncomfortable as a parent to show up looking like a hooker at your teen's school, but as parents we have to sacrafice for the well-being of our kids.

Any of these tips for teenage girl's will work with teenage boys as well.