- Do not go through their room without permission. Just don't do it. You might find something you wish you hadn't, and your teen will be eternally ticked that you violated their privacy.
- Give them their space. If something seems off about your teen, and they're not being especially open with you, just give them some time to themselves. They may come around to sharing later, or they may not. An important part of forming strong trust is them not feeling pressured or forced to tell you everything.
- Set limitations, have clear consequences. Make sure to have regular conversations in which you compromise on things like: curfews, date rules, check-in-times, and chores. Also in these conversations make sure you're clear on potential consequences for breaking the rules that you set.
Someone is a "hottie" when they can make me laugh, make me think, or bring something fun and interesting into my life. I'm a sponge when it comes to new experiences and love to be surprised.
Something most people don't know about me is that I'm the caretaker of a disabled veteran. My father served in the Navy in Desert Storm. He broke his spine while serving, and as a result he now spends his days in a wheel chair. He and his last wife separated in 2012, and I'm his only child that still lives in Missouri. So I'm in charge of caring for him.
Some of the best pickup lines I've heard were:
- "I'm not a photographer, but I can picture you and I together."
- "Do you have a band-aid? Because I scraped my knee falling for you."
- "I wanna live in your socks so I can be with you every step of the way."
Thank goodness my son has been quite well-behaved so far, because while I feel pretty confident about the privacy and sharing aspects I feel lost when it comes to setting consequences. I agree that people who can make me laugh and make me think are most attractive. And I admire what you're doing for your dad. He is lucky to have you.
ReplyDelete