Raising your kid to be a strong, street smart, and capable person in today’s world will help them overcome challenges and live their best life. Often those not raised to be emotionally and physically resilient find it difficult to fit in because they cannot apply radical and critical thinking in situations.
The good news is, you can prepare your kid for life by creating and immersing them in environments that foster discipline, growth, and development.
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Here are five great ways you can prepare your kid to face the world once they leave your care.
Admit Them To a Boarding School
Taking your teenager, particularly your son, to a boarding school for boys is not nearly as bad as you may think. Yes, it will separate you from your kid, but it’ll also teach practical skills that’ll enable them to be self-reliant far from home.
For instance, a boarding school expects students to clean after themselves in the dorms and class, imparting responsibility. Your kid will quickly learn basic tasks like washing clothes, maintaining personal hygiene, and even being their brothers’ keeper.
Fortunately, learning responsibility from a young age will influence your teenager’s behavior such that they’ll continue to conduct themselves well even when they’re back home.
In many ways, your kid will learn to be obedient and start relying on themselves on basic things like laundry, doing the dishes, and whatnot.
Another reason to take your teenager to a boarding school is for self-reliance. At home, they expect you to bend over backward for their needs, and while that’s your job as a parent, you shouldn’t have to do every single thing for them.
Undoubtedly, at some point, your teenager will have to be self-reliant on certain aspects of their life like personal care and being accountable for their actions. This will significantly prepare them to be responsible and in charge of their college, work, and personal life.
A boarding school will condition your teenager to be proactive in life. For example, they won’t wait for you to point out their untidy room. Instead, they’ll immediately make their bed after waking up and maintain a clean living space as they did at school.
Besides, a change of environment allows teenagers to be contemplative of their actions, emulate their peers, and gradually transform to be disciplined and respectful. The best part is you won’t have to worry about your kid turning to their old ways because schools effectively change behavior, allowing them to build character and be exemplary adults in the Future.
Encourage Exploration
Exploration is more than an exciting activity. It also promotes life skills like communication and problem-solving, critical thinking, and acceptance.
It’d be best to allow your teenager to explore through outdoor adventures like camping and sports, to help them learn the world’s ways and develop creativity through imagination.
Engaging in explorations as a young person takes guts and bravery because you’re engaging in something new and unknown. Meaning your teenager will have to overcome their fear and anxiety of trying something new to enjoy it truly.
Additionally, your kid will be able to step out of their comfort zone and learn new things in different environments.
A different kind of exploration to encourage is talent development. Teenagers are eager learners and may try different things before they finally know their niche. However, others are lucky enough to know their talents early and start developing them as soon as possible.
It’s, therefore, essential to permit your child to try out as many things as they need to because it’s during this trial and error stage that they’re able to live out their imaginations, learn, grow and live a content life.
Moreover, explorations will help your teenager build confidence in themselves and their craft. This is because they gradually learn the skills and values of doing a particular task.
Indeed, explorations benefit teenagers greatly – from acquiring practical skills and values to promoting discipline and self-reliance. It’s wise to encourage your kid to explore the world and their abilities as much as possible for a more fulfilling life.
Acknowledge Them
Often, parents forget to acknowledge their kid’s efforts and endeavors, making them doubt their abilities and feel demotivated to continue.
The first place teenagers look to for encouragement and motivation is at home, from those they look up to like parents. So when you don’t acknowledge your kid, you’re affecting their morale and confidence on a deeper level.
Bear in mind that your teenager will interpret your actions differently, so be careful how you handle their failures and accomplishments. Preferably, consider complimenting them whenever they complete a task – it could be a house chore, an exam, or a co-curricular project.
Doing so boosts their dependence and inspires them to do better next time.
Even when they do something wrong, praise their efforts and initiative on the task before suggesting a different and perhaps right way to do it. You’ll be able to disarm them and avoid confrontations when you marry your criticism with a compliment.
The simple act of recognition and appreciation will go a long way in strengthening your kid’s mental ability to do tasks without giving up in the Future. As you may know, cognitive ability is an essential factor in coping with stress and facing challenges head-on for a rewarding life.
Talk About Getting a Job
Getting a job as early as a teenager has many benefits; for one, your teenager will begin to appreciate hard work and hard-earned money. The amount of hard work, time, and sacrifices having a job demands will help your kid be more financially responsible, decisive in their actions, and resilient.
It’ll also teach your teenager the fundamentals of life, like how to relate with people through their customers, time management, work efficiency, and overall productivity.
Ultimately, this will make your teenager job-ready, where they’ll be able to navigate the workplace and become successful businesspersons.
More importantly, your kid will start to attain financial independence. Instead of over-relying on you for gas money, deodorant, clothes, or sports gear, they’ll be able to save up and facilitate their needs.
Furthermore, they’ll learn to manage and spend money appropriately like a responsible soon-to-be adult. Please offer your support by opening a savings account to prevent them from overspending and mismanaging money.
Allowing your kid to work while still studying helps them understand and appreciate the value of money for a financially independent future.
With that said, encourage your teenager to get a part-time job during their school breaks. This will allow them to engage in constructive projects that develop skills and complement their education.
Create a Positive Routine
Kids flourish on routines; without them, it’s all hell break loose. You can help your teenager build good habits like appropriate sleeping schedules and a good diet simply by creating a routine that the family follows.
For one, promote a healthy lifestyle by incorporating more nutritious meals and snacks in your family meals. This way, your kid will adapt to a positive lifestyle early and stick to it long after moving from home.
If it’s fitness, start by involving the whole family to teach your teenager its importance so he/she can do it without supervision. Remember, emulation is the best teacher, and your teenager will only know to do it when they see you do it.
Preparing your teenager for the Future won’t be a straightforward job. You’ll face ups and downs with your teenager trying to push back changes you impart on them. However, if you do it right and allow your kid time to adjust, you’ll be successful in building their character and discipline. The above insights will help you decide what’s best and effective for your teenager’s development.