Break from Traditional Expectations

Talk to your teenage boy about emotions. Support your teenage girl in sports.Adolescents are extremely susceptible to societal pressure and related gender stereotypes. Encourage them to break out from traditional expectations and pursue their own interests!

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs – a West Coast wilderness therapy program serving troubled teens and their families since 1988.

Troubled Teen Behaviors a Cry for Help

Many of teenagers’ more concerning behaviors are attempts to gain support. If your teenager comes home drunk or hurts themselves on purpose, talk to them!!! Often, teenagers are hungry for adult support and care. When an adolescent refuses to talk and seems to be unsafe, seek professional help.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs – serving troubled teens and their families for 24 year. A therapeutic wilderness program that helps with teen substance abuse, teen depression, teen behavioral issues, teen anxiety, teen ADHD, and more. Time-tested. Proven results.

Teens Need Independence & Support

Remember that a teenager needs to push adults away in order to grow into an independent adult.  However, teenagers still need adult support, guidance, and care. Find times that work to express your love and support to your adolescent.  They need to know that adults are still around to help!

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Program Clinical Director Catherine Eastlake, LPC, CADC-II. Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy programs has been serving the needs of troubled teens since 1988.

Boundaries are Imperative!

Hold boundaries. Most teenagers will push against boundaries or rules you set. It is their job to do so! It is your job to set rules that match your teenager’s maturity and then stick to them.  Teenagers in our program are able to say “I wish my Mom/Dad would really be a parent.”

Parenting tip from Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs serving the needs of troubled tens since 1988. Time-tested, proven-results, licensed and accredited.

Get Hip!

Ask your adolescents questions!  Recognize that culture, drugs, music, slang, and social pressures are not the same as they were 10 or 20 years ago.  Catch up to what your teenagers are experiencing by simply asking them.  If you ask them what drugs are available at their school, you won’t encourage them to use.  It could open a discussion about the risks of substance use and how much substances have changed over the years.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs Clinical Director Katherine Eastlake, LPC, CADC-II. Catherine Freer – serving the needs of troubled teens and their families for more than 24 years. Licensed as a Mental Health and Drug and Alcohol Treatment program. JCAHO Accredited. A West Coast Wilderness Therapy Program. Time-tested and proven results. Learn more at http://www.cfreer.com.

Reconsider Screen Time

Limit ‘screen time’ in your house. This means that all things with a screen: TV, computer, hand-held video games, ipod, smart phone, etc. get a time limit. Unless the computer is being used for school (monitor this!), set a time limit that matches your adolescent’s maturity. For example, two hours of screen time each day during the week is plenty for most teens.

Parenting Tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs, serving troubled teens since 1988.

Talk to Your Adolescent

Talk to your adolescent.  Many parents assume that if a teenager does not bring up a subject, it means that child does not want to talk about it.  Once a subject is broached, teenagers will inevitably tell you  that they were waiting for ‘the adult’ to bring it up.  Whatever is going unsaid— alcohol use in the family, grandma’s frustrating visits, financial stress, parents’ conflict—talk to your adolescent about it.  Answer their questions and listen to their concerns.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs. Serving troubled teens and their family since 1988.

 

Encourage Individual Interests

Encourage your adolescent to explore her own interests.  It is good to keep some family activities, but adolescents really need to build their own pastimes.  Sometimes parents will set an expectation that one hour after school must be in an organized activity.  But, the teenager gets to pick which activity!

 

Submitted by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs. Serving troubled teens since 1988. Change starts here!

Get Real with Your Teen

Talk to your teenage boy about emotions. Support your teenage girl in sports. Adolescents are extremely susceptible to societal pressure and related gender stereotypes. Encourage them to break out from traditional expectations and pursue their own interests!

Parenting Tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs. Effecting changes that last a lifetime for families challenged with a troubled teen.  Since 1988, serving teen with substance abuse, mental health and behavioral issues.

Teens Need to be allowed Some Control

Allow space for your adolescent to have control.  Are you comfortable with your daughter deciding what color her hair is?  Can your teenage son play whatever sport he chooses? Can your adolescent’s bedroom be as cluttered as he wants?  Whatever fits for you, find an area where your teenager gets to be in charge.

 

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs. Serving troubled teens since 1988.

Friends

Get to know your child’s friends. While every teenager needs some privacy, it will help you to have some knowledge of the friends your adolescent is choosing and spending time with.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs. Serving the needs of families challenged with a troubled teen since 1988.

Parent Conflict

When parents have conflict, teenagers often feel pressure to take sides.  Make sure to demonstrate basic respect for all parents involved.  Acknowledge, honestly, that you are in conflict with another parent, but do not insult or degrade that adult in front of your adolescent.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs Clinical Director Katherine Eastlake, LPC, CADC.

Understand Your Child

When your adolescent makes a decision that you disagree with, but is hot harmful or unsafe, don’t give your opinion.  Ask your child what lead to the decision and simply learn about his thought process.  Use this type of situation as an opportunity to understand how your child thinks, rather than comment on his decisions.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs Clinical Director Katherine Eastlake, LPC, CADC-I.

Keep Your Cool

Remain calm.  If your teen is yelling or cussing, speak in a quieter voice than she is and use plain language.  You can set the tone for discussions if you are able to control your own volume and expression.

 

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs Clinical Director Katherine Eastlake, LPC, CADC.

Take a Moment to Say Thanks

Make sure to compliment and praise your child, even for small things. It is easy to get taken for granted when you are young, especially in a large family.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs.

Parents With Troubled Teens Outreach for Support

Get support!  When you are struggling with your adolescent, talk to friends, family, spiritual groups, parent support groups, etc.  You will find that many parents are struggling with similar things as you!

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs Clinical Director Katherine Eastlake, LPC, CADC. 

Listening to Troubled Teen is Key to Success

Listen, Listen, Listen.  We find that in working with teenagers, the more we listen, the better treatment outcomes we have.  Teenagers need to be heard without judgment just as much as adults do.   If you have to respond with critical feedback (in order to help teenagers stay safe), wait until your teen has said everything she wanted to say.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs Clinical Director Katherine Eastlake, LPC, CADC.

Demonstrate Unconditional Love to Your Teen

Leave your child notes (hand written – not email!) that acknowledge even the smallest accomplishments. Leave them on your child’s pillow, mirror or somewhere they can see it when alone. Even small one-line sentiments can mean the world to your child–”Billy, I am proud of how hard you are trying in school.” or, “Sally, remember when we made cookies together for Thanksgiving? I thought of it today and smiled.” Your notes should be brief, positive, and contain NO criticisms. The goal is to demonstrate unconditional love and cultivating nurturance with your child.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Program Family Therapist Jeffrey Peyton, MA, CADC.

Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs – offering wilderness therapy expeditions for troubled teens struggling with behavioral and emotional issues such as teen substance abuse, teen depression, ADHD, teen anxiety, rebellion,  defiance.  low self-esteem, impulsivity, and  poor academic achievement.

Be A Healthy Role Model

Make sure your child sees you exercising and eating well. Nutrition and exercise have a profound effect on a teen’s mental and emotional wellness.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs’ Family Therapist Adam Goddard, LPC, CADC-I.

Speak in one parental voice to your troubled teen

Teenagers love to play one parent against the other to either get something they desire or to avoid a consequence. Take time for you and your spouse (or even more importantly, ex-spouse) to identify common rules, incentives and consequences. Also agree that you will stand up for each other, and not allow either of you to get “cornered.” This will demonstrate to your teen that you communicate, have common goals and expectations, and you will follow through.

Parenting tip by Catherine Freer Wilderness Therapy Programs Family Therapist Jeffery Peyton, MA, CADC.