Question

In what ways can parents exhibit trust while still monitoring their adolescents?

post a least a 250 word response.

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Answer 1

Parents can exhibit trust while still monitoring their adolescents.

Building trust is extremely important, especially with adolescents. Adolescence is the critical period of change in a child's life when the child is overwhelmed with the nature of physical changes taking place in him. It is often called the period of stress and storm. The bodies of adolescents start maturing from around 11 years of age. Adolescents explore many changes in their body. They also explore their identities to establish one in society to be "recognized, known, and belong". In such a critical period of a child's life, it is important to understand that parents need to be a "companion" in the adolescent's life rather than an authoritarian. This companionship will only be possible through trust. Adolescents should consider their parents trustworthy so that they share their unusual experiences with their parents to receive appropriate guidance and do not fall prey to an identity crisis, confusions, peer pressure, parental pressure, or societal pressure. This can be done with "healthy parenting".

Parents should be enthusiastic to know about the stories of their adolescent's life. Parents should give due importance to their adolescent's life. They should be involved in their adolescent's life, enthusiastically. This will make the adolescent feel secured and commence the trust-building process. The adolescent will perceive the parent to be a person in whom he or she can confide in. Being involved will provide twin benefits. The parent will get the opportunity to remain close to the adolescent, thereby monitoring his or her activity and guiding accordingly. This will make the adolescent perceive the parent as concerned about him or her, thereby consolidating the trust in the parent. This will also consolidate the positive attitude towards the parent in the adolescent. Gradually, the adolescent may start considering the parent a "trustable friend", thereby reducing the chances of the adolescent being influenced by deviant peers or strangers.