Parents of Teens - Are you close to your kids?
@HeavenUnaware (1757)
United States
January 25, 2007 1:51am CST
I'm the mother of a 16 year old son and we are very close - but I often times feel like we are not the norm and when I talk to people and they hear me talk about our closeness, they act like I'm lying or have the "perfect kid" syndrome.
I'm curious - are you close to your teens? Do you talk about everything and anything? I do not mean "are you their bestfriend" kind of relationship, just a normal parent bond with respect and love for each other.
2 responses
@luckyme2007 (29)
• United States
25 Jan 07
I have a 16 year old too sometimes we talk normally but when he gets around his nanny or friends Im no longer fit for conversation, It hurts my feelings cause I wonder what I did to make him feel that way but around the house we are good.. I wish I could improve our relationship and wish he confided in me alot more, but I guess its a teen thing. I HOPE
1 person likes this
@HeavenUnaware (1757)
• United States
26 Jan 07
Some teens can be strange - they need to be "cool" around their friends and talking to their mom isn't cool to some of them. I hope you are able to have a good relationship with him when he's older. Just keep telling him you love him - even if he doesn't want to hear it. Sooner or later, it will sink it and he'll realize just how cool you are :)
@ssh123 (31073)
• India
25 Jan 07
When the children of this age, do not have extra curricular activities, if they do not take part in sports and join friends, then they hang on to parents, especially boys with mothers. There is nothing wrong. These children see emotional solace with their parents.But all said and done, you should encourage the children to participate in other activities.
1 person likes this
@HeavenUnaware (1757)
• United States
25 Jan 07
Thanks but I have to disagree with you.
My son plays football, wrestles and does track for his high school. He is also in a film academy type university within his high school - so his schedule is very VERY busy. I stay involved in his activities as well. I'm on the booster board for football and help out as much as I can with the other sports. I do not miss any games or matches or events. He is out of the home at 7am and often times not back home until about 8pm or later. On the weekends he spends alot of times with his 4 closest friends.
Despite all of that, we are super close. We stay in contact throughout the day, I'm very protective of him as well. We also talk whenever we have the time about everything going on in his life - he shares it all and nothing is off limits.
I think children who are not involved in things (with parents who are not involved either) tend to turn to their friends more and not their parents. And these children tend to also have too much time to get into other kinds of trouble away from their parents at this age.
I guess I was just wondering if other parents have this relationship with their children or feel the same way I do.
Thanks for your reply though :)
