Being parents of a teenager, it’s difficult for you to set
them free while keeping them safe. Giving them freedom to spread their wings,
make their own decision and take full responsibilities for their actions is an
important part of the transition to maturity, but their safety is naturally
your biggest concern. The key is the equipment for your teenagers with skills
so that they can deal with potential dangerous situations without taking away
their freedom.
Plan in advance
Whenever your child goes out, make sure that you’ve talked
to them about the place where she will come, who she will spend time with and
what time she will go home. If your teenager has already planned for her steps,
her safety is less likely to be violated. Fight against the temptations of
teaching your teenager what to do; instead of that, suggest her the way she can
take precautions to take care of herself. For example, your teenage girl can
plan on meeting her friends in a special place at a preset time.
Communication
Encourage your child to have cell phone in her pocket
whenever and wherever she goes. Check all of your child’s contact – home,
cellphones, and work phones – whether they’re saved in the phone’s memory or
not. If she has a prepaid cellphone, make sure that the account has plenty of
credit before she goes out so that she can call you at any time. If your child
is a young teenager who’ve just starting to go out with friends alone, ask them
to call or message you at preset time so that you know your child is still
safe.
If your child is a
young teenager who’ve just starting to go out with friends alone, ask them to
call or message you at preset time so that you know your child is still safe.
Online safety
Internet has a huge role in the social life of teenagers
today. This is a field that many parents feel extremely nervous about, as
they’re unfamiliar with the internet. Talk to your teenage girl about internet
safety in the earliest possible opportunity and set some basic rules. The first
rule is that she shouldn’t reveal any personal info – full name, home address,
cell phone number, internet password and details about the family – to anyone
she meets online and doesn’t know in the real life. If your teenage girl wants
to use chat room, make sure that she uses a different name from their real one.
Warn her about the risks of meeting people she connects online and require your
teenage girl to let you know if someone asks her for a direct meeting.
Talk to your
teenage girl about internet safety in the earliest possible opportunity and set
some basic rules.
Consequences
After setting some guidelines and rules to keep your teenage
girl safe, let her know what will happen if she doesn’t follow these things.
For example, if your teen doesn’t come home after the curfew time and don’t
call you to inform you that everything is still fine, you can set earlier
curfew time within the next few weeks. Emphasize that you’re not a control
freak trying to have influence on her life or ruin their happiness; your main
concern is her safety. Ask her to be honest and open with you about any
difficult situations she has encountered. If your teenager feels that she can
talk to you without being judged or criticized, regardless of the mistakes she
might have made, it’s possible that she will open her heart to you. The more
you know about the habits and the place your child often comes, the higher the
chance you have to keep your child be safe and sound.
Ask her to be
honest and open with you about any difficult situations she has encountered.
