Staying connected with your teenager…

From Focus on the Family dot com …

 

  • Commit to a vigorous outdoor
    activity over the weekend with your kids. Push the limits, and be
    creative.
  • Listen to music that your child
    enjoys — keeping an open mind.
  • Keep "dating" your
    daughter and scheduling fun activities with your son on a regular basis.
  • Figure out how to have fun with
    your teen by immersing yourself in his world for an afternoon. Hang out
    together, read a book she likes, play his games, listen to her stories.
  • Connect with other adults who
    play an important role in your child’s life — coaches, teachers, youth
    leaders — and compare notes on how your child is progressing.
  • Shock your son or daughter by
    doing something together on his or her "turf" — skateboarding,
    playing hoops at the park, going to the mall.
  • Plan special rite-of-passage
    events when your child reaches milestone ages like 13, 16 and 18.
  • Tell your child you’ll pay if
    he goes to a movie with you. Afterward, ask questions about the film’s
    themes.