POSITIVE Positive parents focus on empowering their children to grow and learn. They: Take an active role in teaching their teen responsibility. Tend to use the how, what, and why question approach. Set clear expectations about teen behavior, such as waiting until age 21 before drinking alcohol, no marijuana use, no impaired driving, and no getting into cars with others who have been drinking or using other drugs. Set and enforce rules prohibiting drugs. Explain reasons behind their expectations and encourage teens to talk about any concerns. Set and enforce consequences when agreements are not met. Use their power to create change. Positive parents know that their own age, knowledge, experience, and material resources give them more power than their children. Positive parents use that power to strengthen and protect their teens and help them grow into effective individuals. Positive parenting is generally the most effective parenting style.
Positive parenting can be difficult, because parents gradually relinquish control and give kids more freedom and responsibility with each passing year. These parents respect a teen’s drive for independence, yet maintain legitimate limits. Their philosophy is to build trust and teach skills that empower the teen to take increasing control of his or her life. Instead of threatening severe punishment for bad behavior, positive parents discuss, set, and enforce clear consequences for breaking rules. They encourage teens to talk about problems and build problem-solving skills by using the how , what , and why approach. Boost Self-Esteem Teens who have high self-esteem are better equipped to make smart choices, deal with peer pressure, and avoid underage drinking. Praising achievements Helping set realistic goals Giving choices Offering responsibilities Focusing on teen’s strengths without comparing to others Taking all of your teen’s concerns seriously Boost your teen’s self-esteem by:
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