We’ve all been there—that cute and adorable type of love that gets us giddy and makes our cheeks flush a tint of red. It’s the high school love that we experience during our adolescence. This sweet infatuation we experience as teenagers or “Puppy Love” as most of us would call it, is something we simply cannot avoid. Our grandfathers, our parents, have gone through it. Even us, of course, are no stranger to that tender feeling. And as you know it, our children will have to go through it at one point in their lifetime. Eventually, as they grow up, love and feelings will sometimes take over their soft hearts.
Parents often have a difficult time knowing what to do when the time of teenage love transpires. Typically, it’s because parents don’t want to let go of seeing their kids as just kids. First loves aren’t anymore mommy and daddy but a kid their age that makes their heart flutter. Not all parents, especially those who are very attached, can really come to terms with the idea that their kid is growing up. Parents can avoid the conversation of their children’s romantic gestures towards others but one thing is for sure: time is fleeting and it’s something they will have to deal with either way. The 1 billion dollar question is how should parents handle their kids' puppy love experience?
Be Calm
Most of the time, parents tend to overthink these romantic relationships and blow them way out of proportion than what they really are. Once parents find out that their kid is dating someone or has a crush, some tend to overreact and overthink the whole situation. In reality, the relationship isn’t really as serious as parents perceive it to be. Sometimes teenagers or kids are just in a relationship through online chatting or text but don’t really talk to each other in person due to being too shy. While yes, there is emotion involved, but emotion doesn’t always guarantee long-term relationships. Some young relationships don’t even last a month. The more you overreact, the more you pester your kid making him or her want to get as far away from you as possible. It’s important to remember that when it comes to relationships with children, being their go-to person is key. And you can’t expect them to find comfort in you when half the time you spend with them, you nag on them
Be Open
If there’s one thing you should really take by heart in this article, it’s this: be open-minded. Having a parent that one can trust, rely on, and be free of judgment is something all teenagers or even kids want. It’s important that they are comfortable talking to you about these things. When children are open to their parents, they get the right advice, simply because they ask the right people—their parents. Understand your child and where they are coming from. Make them feel that you are not just their parent, but you’re also a friend. When it comes to relationships, whether it’s serious or not, there’s a lot of thoughts and feelings that take over teenagers. A lot of the time, they just want someone who listens, aim to be that listening friend. You’ll be surprised at how many parents know completely nothing about a child simply because they just choose to be a parent and neglect being their buddy. Of course, there still are boundaries. Respect between a child-parent relationship should also be present, but sometimes we overdo the idea of being a respected parent and forget about what our teenage youngsters really need—someone they can open to. Being open is also important because only then will you know what truly is going on with your kids’ life.
Don’t intervene too much
This is one of the top things that definitely tick off teenagers. If you want to get in your kids’ nerves, intervening way too much in their personal life is the way to go. It’s something that really does irk them to tears and we all know parents are guilty of sometimes meddling a little too much. It’s no wonder, parents care for the welfare of their teens, kids, infants. No matter the age, all we want is to look after them. But in their adolescent phase, parents have to be reminded that they have their own boundaries as well and as parents, we need to respect that. A few questions here and there are acceptable but once they don’t feel comfortable when it comes to certain topics, there’s no reason to pry. Eventually, once trust is built, they’ll feel the need to let you in on their stories and secrets because they know that you’re not here to judge or scold them, you’re there to help them go through life. And whatever it is, good news or bad, you’re there to listen, give advice when they need it, and just simply be there.
Give them some words of wisdom
A little wisdom won’t hurt anyone. As parents, it’s your responsibility to listen and impart some knowledge as well. Sometimes parents’ advice, when given properly, is the reason their kids get by. It gives a big impact on their lives, their decision-making skills, their principles. When giving advice, make sure to always keep your tone in check. More often than not, teens don’t want to listen simply because they feel like they're being reprimanded, when in fact, the only intention parents really have is to be of help. But that intention gets overshadowed by a bad tone and all of a sudden, your kid doesn’t want to listen and would rather leave instead of having a mature and heart-to-heart discourse. Always keep in mind that teenagers can sometimes be all over the place, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Be subtle. Be kind. While the content of your words may be substantial, how you say it really matters and this determines whether or not what you say will stick to their minds and hearts.
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