How to Deal With Teenage Attitude: 7 Tips for Parents

Updated on July 14, 2023 By Daniel Wong 14 Comments

How to deal with teenage attitude – that’s what so many frustrated parents want to know.

As someone who’s been coaching teens for years, I often speak with parents who are overwhelmed by their teenager’s attitude.

Since you’re reading this article, I’m sure you love your teens and want to set them up for success.

Yet almost everything you say or do elicits an eye-roll in response.

Do any of the following scenarios sound familiar to you?

Your teenagers hate school and don’t have long-term academic goals (or other meaningful goals, for that matter). When you tell them that there’ll be no video games until they finish their homework, they storm off.

Or maybe you want to spend some family time together, but your teens prefer to use social media or watch videos instead.

And if you ask about your teen’s day? Well, you’re lucky if you get a three-word reply.

Knowing how to deal with teenage attitude is tricky. You don’t want to worsen the situation and suffer through another teenage tantrum, but you’re also unwilling to tolerate disrespectful behaviour.

Here’s what you need to remember…

Your teenager’s attitude often has little to do with you.

Teenagehood is a tricky time. Teens are developing their sense of identity, yet they still feel powerless, confined by rules and schedules.

But here’s some good news:

While parenting teens is never easy, there are ways to learn how to handle teenage attitude – simple steps you can take today to improve your relationship with your teens and get through to them.

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7 ways to deal with teenage attitude problems

Understanding your teen’s challenging behaviour can be emotionally overwhelming, but these proven tips will help:

1. Offer advice only if your teen is open to it

As a parent, it’s hard to watch your teenagers struggle with their problems — especially when you know you can help.

After all, you’ve experienced a lot more than your teens have. If only they would listen to you, you could easily give them the solutions they need.

You want to support your teens to become excellent students who lead meaningful lives. But they’re in the process of discovering their unique identity. They need to develop their own preferences and learn from their mistakes.

If your teenagers are open to it, you can still guide and coach them. But do your best to listen more and speak less.

Avoid forcing your opinion on your teenagers, even if you think you know what’s best for them.

They’ll be more inclined to share their thoughts and feelings with you (without the bad attitude) if you listen rather than lecture.

2. Set clear boundaries together with your teen

If you want your teenagers to respect boundaries, involve them in the rule-setting process.

If you do this, they’ll see that you value and respect their feelings and opinions.

Now, the rules should seem reasonable to everyone in the family. You’re not letting your teens walk all over you, but rather you’re listening to their concerns and working together to create fair boundaries.

As far as possible, make the boundaries apply to you (as the parent) too. In my own family, I’ve found that my children are more willing to abide by the rules when they apply to me and my wife too.

When you set rules with your teens, they will be much more likely to go along with them.

And you know what’s even better? You won’t have to struggle with the issue of how to deal with teenage attitude.

3. Give your teen autonomy

Does it feel like just a short while ago your teenager was a toddler?

Do you remember that small child who always wanted to spend time with you and relied on you for almost everything?

I don’t need to tell you how quickly kids grow up, so the process of raising independent grownups begins now.

Teenagers often feel like their lives are out of their control and that their freedom is always being limited.

They’re discovering their identity yet often feel frustrated by their lack of independence. This sometimes leads to a poor attitude and risky teenage behaviours.

After all, teens who don’t feel right can’t act right.

So give your teens autonomy whenever you’re able to. This might mean compromising on the small things (like a hairstyle or fashion choice), but in return, you’ll have more energy for the things that matter.

Teens should have the final say with regard to most of the things going on in their lives, e.g. which subjects to take, which activities to participate in, how to complete a project.

4. Stay calm

You politely ask your daughter to wash the dishes after dinner.

She gets angry, says she doesn’t want to, then slams her bedroom door.

Your frustration starts to rise and you lecture her. How else should you deal with such teenage attitude?

Of course, rude and disrespectful behaviour is never acceptable.

That being said, losing your temper will cause your teen to shut down or become defensive. It definitely won’t lead to a productive conversation about your teen’s inappropriate actions.

When you feel as if you’re about to lose your cool, take a few deep breaths.

Stay calm (here are some good tips to do that) and, if necessary, address the issue at a later time when both you and your teen have calmed down.

5. Spend quality time with your teen

It might seem like your teenagers don’t want to spend time with you. It might seem like whatever you do or say is annoying to them.

Here’s the thing to keep in mind about dealing with teenage attitude…

Your teens crave your love and support, even if they don’t express it.

They might begin to feel neglected if it appears that their other siblings or your work or hobbies are more important to you than they are.

If they feel this way, their behaviour will get worse.

So set aside regular time to spend with your teen, and ensure that your teen is available at that time too.

Use these opportunities to show that you care about your teen and about his or her interests and hobbies.

Over time, your teen’s confidence and self-esteem will improve, and so will the parent-teen relationship.

Quality time doesn’t have to be extravagant. A walk around the neighbourhood or an afternoon out for ice cream is all it takes to demonstrate that you enjoy spending time with your teen.

And make sure to avoid lecturing or nagging during this quality time — quality time should be something you both look forward to!

6. Don’t take bad behaviour personally

When it comes to how to deal with teenage attitude, it’s easy to feel like you’re not handling the situation well.

You want to help your teens take responsibility for their lives so they become successful, happy adults.

But all your teens do is complain, talk back to you, and question your authority.

You might think to yourself, “My teenager hates me.” But that’s rarely the case.

It helps to remember that how they behave frequently has less to do with you and more to do with their developmental stage.

Their brains are changing. They’re learning how to express their heightened emotions while also discovering their identity.

That’s a lot to handle for a young person!

Again, I’m not saying you should condone bad behaviour. But when you realise that their attitude isn’t a personal attack directed at you, it will be easier to communicate with your teen clearly and effectively.

In turn, it’s more likely that you’ll be able to get your teenager to listen to you.

7. Build your teen’s self-confidence

You want to help your teens develop positive lifelong habits.

So, you offer constructive criticism. You tell your teens what they should be doing: studying more, cleaning up, eating healthily, reducing screentime…

While you’re trying to enable your teens to become more responsible, don’t forget to say positive things to them, too!

Research shows that recognising positive behaviour in teens promotes identity formation and moral reasoning.

I recommend practising descriptive praise instead of evaluative praise. (Here are some examples of descriptive praise.)

By doing this, you’ll reinforce positive behaviour, build your teens’ self-confidence, and support habits for long-term success.

Plus, you’ll have more peace in your household, leading to fewer conflicts between you and your teens.

In closing…

Knowing how to handle teenage attitude can be stressful and exhausting.

Start applying the tips outlined in this article, and keep persevering.

As time goes by, your family life will be more harmonious, and your relationship with your teen will improve too.

And if you’ve found this article useful, check out my online course for parents of teens called Transform Your Teen Today: 7 Steps to Turn Your Child Into a Motivated & Responsible Teen.

Through the course, you’ll get the exact strategies and support you need to empower your teen to go through a positive transformation – starting today!

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Get your FREE copy of

16 Keys to Motivating Your Teenager.

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Parenting Teens: 15 Tips to Raise Happy, Motivated Teenagers

Updated on September 30, 2024 By Daniel Wong 5 Comments

When it comes to parenting your teens, does your home feel more like a battleground than a sanctuary?

If so, you’re not alone.

Navigating the teenage years is stressful for both you and your children.

You only want to help your teenagers succeed, yet everything you say or do seems to annoy them.

You’re understandably frustrated by their mood swings and irritability.

So, how does a parent survive these challenging teenage years?

As someone who coaches teens for a living, I’ve learned that even the most difficult teenagers are capable of transformation.

I’ve seen many struggling teens become successful students and well-adjusted members of the family.

With the right parenting tips, you can raise a respectful, responsible teen — and bring peace back to your home, too.

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16 Keys to Motivating Your Teenager.

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It’s normal to have problems between teens and their parents. Here’s why…

Growing up isn’t easy — and neither is parenting teens.

If you find yourself in a constant struggle with your teenagers, here are a few common reasons why they might be acting out:

A. Your teen is learning to express his/her emotions

Do you feel like your teens roll their eyes no matter what you say?

Or maybe your teens talk back to you angrily or don’t respond at all?

It’s frustrating to deal with a moody teenager, especially when you’re just trying to help.

During the teenage years, your children’s hormones go into overdrive. Your teens are likely feeling stressed, irritable, and confused. They’re unsure about how to navigate and express their emotions.

I’m not saying you should tolerate severe disrespect. Boundaries and consequences are crucial to raising a respectful teen.

If you’re wondering how to deal with teenage attitude, it helps to realise that your teens’ behaviour sometimes has little to do with you.

B. Your teen is developing a sense of identity

“I’m not a child anymore!”

Does your teenager like to remind you of this fact?

That’s because teenagehood is a time when children discover who they are and what they love: their personality and passions.

With individuality comes independence. It’s normal for teens to want increased autonomy and to be frustrated with rigid rules, schedules, and expectations.

As your teens discover their identity, remember to show them unconditional love, respect, and support.

(The tips for parenting teens that I’ll share below will help you do exactly that.)

C. Your teen feels powerless

Now you know that teenagers are still learning how to express themselves while also trying to discover their identity.

At the same time, they feel confined by rules and schedules over which they have no control.

It’s no wonder that many teenagers feel powerless!

Micromanaging your teens will make the situation worse and can cause your teens to ignore the consequences and break the rules just so they can feel like they have some power.

The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to empower your teen — and raise a more respectful, responsible teen, too.

15 tips for parenting teenagers

Parenting teenagers is tricky, but there are many ways to adjust your parenting style and improve your relationship with your teen.

Let’s explore these 15 tips for how to handle teenagers more effectively:

1. Set rules and boundaries together with your teen

What’s a straightforward way to help your teens feel like they have control over their lives?

Involve them in the rule-setting process.

I’m not saying that you should let your teens dictate unreasonable family boundaries. But you can sit down together to discuss house rules — and consequences — that are fair for everyone involved.

When you do this, your teens will see that you respect their opinions and independence. Plus, they’ll be far more likely to keep to the agreed-upon boundaries.

2. Communicate like a parent and a friend

Think about how you converse with your friends for a second.

If they come to you with a problem, do you interrupt and lecture them? Probably not.

I’m guessing that you actively listen to them, then offer advice only when appropriate.

If you want your teens to come to you with their problems, then you need to show them respect. A proven way to maintain open lines of communication is to listen more and speak less.

You’ll still want to give guidance and coaching — just without the excessive lecturing and interrupting.

3. Spend quality time together

I’m sure you’re busy.

It’s not easy to juggle a career, household responsibilities, parenting teens, and self-care. I’m a parent too, so I understand.

But this saying is one that’s good to keep in mind when things are hectic: The present moment is all we ever have.

Don’t let the days race by without spending quality time with your teenager.

You’ll create meaningful memories for years to come, and your teen will know you enjoy spending time together.

Quality time together doesn’t need to be extravagant. For example, you could invite your teen to prepare dinner with you or go on a short walk around your neighbourhood.

4. Avoid talking down to your teen

It’s frustrating when teenagers are disrespectful, but responding with disrespect will harm the relationship.

Maybe your teenager won’t stop playing video games and do his homework.

Or maybe you asked for your teenager’s help around the house, but when you get home, the place is still a mess.

You might feel like saying something along the lines of:

I’m the parent, and you’re the child. So just do what I say!

Teens need to learn to follow rules and respect boundaries, but they also want to become more independent. If you make them feel as if they’re just little kids, they’ll rebel.

So speak to your teen firmly but with respect.

Here’s a quick tip: Change “you” statements into “I” statements.

For example, instead of saying, “You are always so lazy,” try saying, “I feel disrespected when you don’t do your chores as we had agreed.”

5. Let your teen experience the consequences of his/her actions

We all make mistakes sometimes. But when we make the same mistake again and again, it becomes a habit.

How do you help your teenagers learn from their mistakes?

By letting them experience the natural consequences of their actions, as far as possible.

If your teenager knows that you’ll drive her to school anytime she misses the bus, she’ll have little motivation to wake up on time.

The same is true if you petition a teacher to let your teenager retake a test if he gets a bad grade. If you do this repeatedly, he won’t develop the study habits necessary to do well in school.

All parents want to save their kids from pain. But sometimes the best way to teach a life lesson is to let your teens experience the repercussions of their actions.

6. Focus on the things that matter

Does your teenager have a hairstyle you don’t like? Does she gravitate towards fashion choices that make your head spin?

As tempting as it is to try and control your teen’s life, even the most responsible teenagers are discovering their individuality and personality.

So, when it comes to parenting teens, save your limited energy for the things that matter the most in the long run.

7. Don’t have difficult conversations when you’re angry

Imagine the following scene:

Your teen comes home an hour after curfew, with no calls or messages to inform you that she would be late. Your anxiety turns into outrage. You were worried that she was in danger, and she didn’t even answer your phone calls?!

In this scenario, most parents would sit their teens down and immediately start lecturing them about their irresponsible behaviour.

The only problem?

If you do this, your teenager will shut down or become defensive. She’ll be unlikely to engage in a meaningful conversation with you.

Whenever possible, try to have difficult conversations when both you and your teen are calm.

Your teens need to understand what mistakes they made. But it’s always easier to teach a lesson when your own emotions aren’t getting in the way.

8. Support your teen’s interests and passions

Does your teen have a hobby that you don’t understand?

Do you nag your teen to be less distracted and more “productive”?

As long as your teens have reasonable time management skills, do your best to support their passions.

Start by observing what their hobbies and interests are. Listen to their favourite music together with them or let them choose the Friday night movie.

This will show your teens that you’re genuinely interested in getting to know them better — and that is a powerful gift.

9. Eat meals together regularly

The benefits of family mealtimes are indisputable. Research shows that eating as a family:

Improves academic performance
Lowers rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse
Builds resilience and self-esteem
Improves physical health
Reduces the likelihood of tobacco use, teenage pregnancy, and substance abuse

What’s more, 80% of teenagers say that family mealtimes are when they’re most likely to talk to their parents. If you want to communicate more with your teens, mealtimes are an ideal opportunity to do so.

This is a simple tip for parenting teens that you shouldn’t skip!

10. Recognise your teen’s good behaviour and habits

I know… you might be thinking that your teen doesn’t display any good behaviour or habits!

It’s easy to criticise your teens, especially when you’re trying to help them develop good habits for lifelong success.

But it’s helpful to take a step back and observe all the positive things your teens do, no matter how small those things might be.

If you notice your teens studying hard on a Friday night or making their bed before school, acknowledge it. Descriptive praise is a proven way to motivate teens.

Even if your teens don’t seem to care about your opinion, rest assured that they actually do.

Teens crave approval from the trusted adults in their lives, but sometimes they give up trying if they think they’re never going to get that approval.

11. Set a positive example for your teen

Your teens are constantly observing what you say and do. So set a good example for them.

If your teens see that you’re committed to personal development, they’ll be more likely to develop positive habits too.

And if your teens observe that you’re kind, respectful, hardworking, and responsible?

That’s right — they’ll be more likely to develop these qualities, too.

Here are some ways to set a positive example for your teens:

Be generous
Be grateful
Volunteer
Embrace challenges
Take care of your physical and mental health
Apologise when you’ve made a mistake

12. Don’t compare your teen with others

You know your teens are capable. But when you learn that your neighbour’s children are getting better grades or that your niece won a scholarship to a top-tier university, you might find yourself comparing your teens with them.

But doing this is detrimental to the parent-teen relationship. Plus, comparison hurts your teens’ self-esteem and can even lead to resentment towards you.

Focus on encouraging your teens and following the other parenting tips in this article, and you’ll be on the right track.

13. Stay involved in your teen’s life, but respect his/her privacy

It’s crucial to understand what’s going on in your teens’ lives.

If they’re engaging in harmful behaviour or hanging out with bad company, you’ll want to know so you can guide them to make better decisions.

The best way to keep up with what’s going on in your teen’s life isn’t to read her diary or invade her personal space.

Instead, stay present and engaged with your teens. Communicate with them. Do things with them that they enjoy. Listen to them when they complain or vent their frustrations.

When you show your teenagers that you respect their freedom and privacy, they’ll be more likely to come to you when they have problems.

14. Encourage self-care

It’s important for teens to do their best to learn effectively and get good grades, but it’s also important that they lead a balanced life.

Teach your teenagers that sleep, nutrition, and exercise will improve their quality of life. If they don’t feel good physically, you’ll have a hard time motivating your teens to do anything productive.

Appropriate self-care will also enable them to focus and do more meaningful things with their time.

Help your teens to learn positive ways to cope with stress and anxiety. They’ll then mature into healthy adults who know how to take care of themselves and do things for the benefit of others too. (Here’s a detailed article about how to help teens with anxiety.)

15. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable

Finally, remember to show your teens that you’re human, too.

The perfect parent doesn’t exist! It’s okay to make mistakes while parenting your teens.

Rather than pretend like you have everything figured out, demonstrate vulnerability.

Ask for forgiveness when you mess up. Show your teen that life isn’t about perfection, but instead, it’s always about learning and growing.

Conclusion

Parenting teens is hard work, but I’m confident that you’ll do a great job as you apply the tips in this article.

Keep doing your best, and you’ll set your teenagers up for lifelong success and happiness.

Want a step-by-step system to help your teens become motivated and responsible — guaranteed?

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Rebellious Teens: 25 Practical Tips to Parent Them Effectively

Updated on September 30, 2024 By Daniel Wong 13 Comments

How do you handle a rebellious teen?

It’s a challenging situation for parents to deal with.

Angry answers to innocent questions, slammed doors, refusing to study – these are behaviours you may be all too familiar with.

Rebellious teens can turn the home into a war zone. So parents come to me feeling as if their teenagers hate them.

Through my work with over 20,000 teens so far, I’ve come across every kind of parent-teen problem you can imagine.

I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. So, in this article, I’m going to share with you 25 tips for handling rebellious teens more effectively.

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1. Decide exactly which behaviours are unacceptable

There are many behaviours your teenager displays that might annoy you.

You might not like the clothes she wears, or you might not like the mess in his bedroom.

But if you react to every one of these behaviours, your relationship with your teenager will descend into one long argument.

Over time, your teen will come to see you as a parent who can never be pleased.

Not only that, if you are constantly criticising your teenager, she will soon learn to block it out as “background noise”.

And that’s bad, because when you really need to register your disapproval, it won’t count for anything.

So it’s essential to be clear about the difference between behaviours that are annoying and those that are unacceptable.

To put it another way, you need to pick your battles.

Parents will have their own boundaries regarding behaviour that is annoying and behaviour that is unacceptable.

Screaming at you while you’re trying to explain something or calling you an “idiot” to your face might be examples of unacceptable behaviours.

On the other hand, what time they take a shower and what they choose to eat might be examples of behaviours that you choose to ignore. [Read more…]

30 Simple Ways to Set a Good Example for Your Children

Updated on November 29, 2021 By Daniel Wong 4 Comments

As a parent, you know it’s important to lead by example.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What you are speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you are saying.”

But life can get so busy.

There are chores to do, errands to run, projects to complete, and events to attend.

And of course, there are also children to bring up.

So it’s to be expected that many parents rarely ask themselves, “Am I setting a good example for my children?”

Through my extensive 1-to-1 coaching work with pre-teens and teens, I’ve observed first-hand how much influence parents have on their children – whether good or bad.

So in this article, I’ll share with you 30 simple ways for you to set a good example for your children.

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1. Be vulnerable. Don’t be afraid to tell your children about your failures and shortcomings. Share with them how you’ve learned to be resilient. Explain to them how you overcame the challenges and obstacles you faced. This approach is vital as you think about how to build confidence in your kids.

2. Value relationships over material wealth. I’ve heard it said that we ought to love people and use things. But many people do the opposite: they love things and use people. Show your children that relationships always matter more than things.

3. Embrace challenges. Get outside your comfort zone on a regular basis and confront your fears. Your children will learn from your positive attitude.

4. Be committed to personal development. Always be improving yourself in some way, e.g. knowledge, habits, skills, emotional control. Your children will see how committed you are to leading a better life, day by day.

5. Write cards to your friends. My own mother used to do this often as a way of encouraging her friends. This helped me to see how vital it is to invest in your friendships.

6. Volunteer and do charity work. We all want our children to serve others and contribute to their communities. Let’s set an example by making a difference through some kind of volunteer work.

7. Invite your neighbours over for dinner. By doing this, you’ll show your children the importance of hospitality. You’ll also forge a deeper relationship with your neighbours. [Read more…]

How to Deal With a Disrespectful Teenager: 10 Tips for Frustrated Parents

Updated on February 21, 2025 By Daniel Wong 200 Comments

Are you dealing with a disrespectful teenager?

Maybe he mutters under his breath when you ask him to do his homework.

Or maybe she slams her room door when you tell her that she can’t go out with her friends.

If so, you’re probably at your wits’ end.

You love your teenagers and you want the best for them.

But you also want them to accept that there are rules in your family, just as there are rules in the outside world.

Don’t be alarmed.

Disrespect towards parents is common as youngsters navigate the waters between childhood and adulthood.

But you can’t deal with disrespect by simply ignoring it. You need a strategy for how to deal with teenage attitude. There are things you need to do, and things you need to avoid doing.

This article explains 10 tips for successfully handling disrespectful and often rebellious teenagers.

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1. Understand the teenage brain

During childhood, there’s tremendous brain development. By age six, 95% of the brain’s structure has already been formed.

Picture it as a sudden development of the wiring of the brain.

The problem is that the new wiring hasn’t yet been connected to the key parts of the brain.

As Molly Edmonds writes, the teenage brain is like an entertainment centre whose components haven’t yet been hooked up.

There are loose wires everywhere. The speaker system hasn’t been connected to the DVD player. And the DVD player hasn’t been configured to work with the TV.

And as for the remote control – it hasn’t even arrived yet!

In this analogy, the remote control is the prefrontal cortex.

That’s the part of the brain that weighs outcomes, forms judgments, and controls impulses and emotions. But in the teenage brain, it hasn’t been properly connected yet.

What does this mean in practice?

It means teenagers can get frustrated easily, with themselves and with external situations. It makes them impulsive and subject to mood swings that you and I don’t experience.

That’s a heady cocktail that can turn teenagers into emotional wrecks.

Understanding that there’s a biological basis for your teenager’s difficult behaviour makes it much easier to deal with.

It helps you to focus on the behaviour rather than the person.

2. Think about the emotional needs underlying the behaviour

When teenagers are disrespectful to their parents, it’s sometimes a sign that they have emotional needs that aren’t being met.

Sometimes, disrespectful behaviour or throwing tantrums is a way of getting attention.

Other times, it’s an indication that they don’t feel accepted.

Sit down with your teenager and tell her that you’re there for her if she wants to talk about something. Remind her that you love her unconditionally. [Read more…]

12 Effective Parenting Skills Every Parent Should Have (Backed by Science)

Updated on January 18, 2024 By Daniel Wong 31 Comments

Do you want to have good parenting skills?

Of course you do.

You want to help your children make the most of their potential, and you want them to be contributing members of society.

But it’s time-consuming to sift through all the parenting tips out there.

What makes it more confusing is that the tips from different “parenting experts” are often contradictory!

I wanted to know what parenting skills and tips have been proven to be effective. So I read through all the scientific articles I could find.

Based on many hours of research, I’ve come up with this list of 12 good parenting skills. (If you’d like to discover another three skills effective parents have, download the free bonus below.)

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Research-backed good parenting skills

To become more effective as a parent, practise the skills that have been proven to get the best results.

These will become the parenting strengths you can then rely on to raise children who develop into confident, successful adults.

Parenting skill #1: Focus more on your children’s positive behaviour than negative behaviour.

Yale University psychology professor Alan Kazdin explains that parents should be intentional about focusing more on their children’s positive behaviour than on their negative behaviour.^[1]

The more parents scold or reprimand, the more the bad behaviour gets repeated.

When they receive a lot of scolding, children start to internalise the belief that “I’m a bad child who misbehaves and gets scolded”.

As such, they don’t feel motivated to correct their behaviour, because it has already become a part of their identity.

Effective parents understand that the better approach is to acknowledge or describe their children’s good behaviour when they see it.

You may have to go out of your way to do this. (You can also check out these 50+ positive things to say to your children.)

Approach this with patience and dedication and you’ll observe your children’s behaviour improving over time.

Parenting skill #2: Teach your children to focus on the needs of others.

Lara Aknin’s research shows that children find happiness through giving to others.^[2]

In fact, children find greater happiness when they give to others sacrificially.

These are interesting findings, because most of us are naturally self-centred. We look out for our own needs before the needs of others.

But the research indicates that if we overcome our selfish nature and focus on the needs of others, we’ll be happier.

If you want your children to lead joyful, fulfilling lives, teach them to serve others and contribute. Involve them in activities where they get to help others and make a positive impact.

When your children think more in terms of contribution and less in terms of achievement, they’ll be on the path of building a happy and successful life. [Read more…]

Want to Be a Better Parent? Ask Your Children 7 Simple Questions

Updated on July 14, 2023 By Daniel Wong Leave a Comment

As a parent, you want to raise children who are responsible and self-motivated.

You want them to do well in school, and you want them to communicate with you openly.

You also want to build a happy family.

But I’m sure you’ve already realised that you won’t achieve these goals easily.

Along the way, your children may have become disobedient, rebellious or disengaged. (This is especially likely if your children are pre-teens or teens.)

Your home environment may have become tense or even hostile.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, don’t worry. This article will help.

I don’t claim to be a parenting expert — I’m still learning how to raise my two young boys well.

But over the years I’ve spoken to and worked with thousands of pre-teens and teens. As such, I understand how to get through to them.

In this article, I’ll share with you seven simple questions to ask your children, which will help you to reach your parenting goals.

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Question #1: “What can I do to be a better parent?”

The simplest way to become a better parent is to ask your children what they think.

When you ask them Question #1, be prepared for an honest answer.

Your children may point out your flaws.

They may bring up incidents where you were unreasonable or inconsistent.

They may highlight ways in which you haven’t been a good role model.

Is this a scary proposition?

Yes.

But the feedback you get will be invaluable in helping you understand which parenting skills you need to develop. [Read more…]