During the teenage years, your children struggle to achieve independence and as a result, they try to pull themselves away from you. Most of the time, teenagers don’t want to be around their parents so imagine how it’s like to travel with them. It can be very challenging but not impossible.
Here are 5 tips that could help you ensure a fun (and peaceful) vacation with your teenager:
Get them involved.
One thing that teenagers hate is when they are treated as “babies” and I understand how you, parents find it hard to let go. But getting them involved in the planning and assigning them a few tasks will show them that you trust them. By delegating a few responsibilities to your teenager, they can gain the feeling of independence that they want to achieve. Also, this is a way to train and teach them a few skills that will help them when they reach adulthood.
Be open to their suggestions.
When planning, listen to what they have to say. Show them that their opinion is important because trust me, it is.
Mix interests.
You should make sure that all activities will be enjoyed by each member of the family. If not all, at least make sure that each one get to pick where or what they want to do. This is why planning with them beforehand is very important.
Give them privacy.
Your teenager needs space even during vacation. So give them space and allow them to explore and feed their curiosity but make sure that you are there to supervise and ensure their safety.
Don’t stop them from using their gadgets.
Asking your teenager to stop using their smartphones will just leave them cranky and furious. Let’s face it, social media keeps them happy. So just make sure that you maintain a fine balance between using and putting away their gadgets. Encourage them to put down their phones and enjoy the activities from time to time.
