5 easy but necessary tips to help parents prepare teens for roommates, careers and life
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It seems like the teen years fly by and before you know it, you’re faced with helping your loved one decide between college or trying their hand at entering the work force. K-12 years serve as a great basis to build on for further education; but, it would benefit parents and kids alike to remember the importance of summer learning and after school programs as tools too. Before you’re faced with college crunch time, you can take the reins and begin guiding your child in the direction of college as well as the workplace through the selection of after school or extracurricular activities you present them with. When choosing programs to consider, ask yourself if the experience gained can be repurposed for a later time in life such as helping them gaining a degree or entering a new career. Here are a few things to think about when looking at the benefits of programs you want to enter your child in:
- Learn, Yearn & Earn. When thinking about programs, how can they support what your child is already learning in school? Can this new program offer them options outside of the traditional academia to get their mind thinking about a new world of career or school choices to consider?
- . Global Competency Through Teamwork Makes the Dream Work. We often move into neighborhoods on purpose so our kids go to school with people who are similar to us. As much as we try to prepare them, who they bunk with at college or work with is not always a choice in the real world. It’s a good idea to expose them to people from different backgrounds in programs that encourage teamwork which fosters acceptance and valuing of various cultural norms as well as differing belief systems for a common goal. This will go far in today’s workplace where global is the new local.
- Can’t We All Just Get Along? Just because we wouldn’t pick certain people as friends, colleagues, mates or staff, doesn’t mean our kids won’t when they grow up. Teach your kids not to be narrow minded and encourage them to make their own healthy connections with people which will bold well in their ability to get along with future co-workers and college roommates. Who knows, some of today’s friends may become life long and give them an edge in relationship sustainability.
- Lead the Seeds. A popular scripture notes “and a child shall lead them.” Some kids are like little seedlings that take over a garden because they’re just natural leaders. For some others, it takes a little bit of sweat and elbow grease. No matter whether you’re born to lead or have to learn, you can never learn enough about being a good leader and working on your skills. Start early by picking programs that allow teens to take turns leading initiatives so they understand what it’s like to be the leader and the person being led. Both roles are equally important and true leaders never think they are better than their staff, friends, or anyone else in their lives. They just know they have the tools to get the job done and the emotional intelligence to work with teams in an effective manner.
- Pushing a Little Past the Cushion. Be careful not to push teens so hard they break emotionally but challenging the limits within reason helps them with believing in themselves. Programs that encourage teens to slowly move a little further along in their abilities taking into consideration their individual emotional capabilities make a huge difference in their ability to get along with others and forge forward with education.
A balance of school and extracurricular activities can be beneficial for your teen. Too much of either can lead to overload, burnout and even emotional concerns like depression or anxiety. The goal is to support them in their journey towards a happy and successful future by giving them options and tools that make sense for them. Encourage them to be self-starters and to embrace failing at things as lessons to help them work on the next goal.
Photo: Flickr/ Vastatearksstaff