I bring this out every now and then. As the parent of several teens, I have to be reminded every now and then of "how to deal with them correctly". It's something I found in the Good Housekeeping magazine dated December 2008.
The 7 Dont's of Bonding With a Teen
Follow these rules to keep your signals clear and your bond strong.
- Don't ask endless questions; you're not an inquisitor.
- Don't sing along to your teen's music uninvited (especially in front of her friends) or use her slang. She'll be mortified.
- Don't tease or be sarcastic.
- Don't talk when you could be listening.
- Don't cut your kid off when he's venting.
- Don't exclude your teen's friends from activities even when you'd rather have one-on-one time; making room for BFF's shows respect for your kid's life outside the family, too.
- Don't use Facebook or IMing as a way to spy, nag, or scold.
I have to work at the pool again today. And it's probably going to be slow. The weather has not been co-operating. So...I need a couple of things to keep me busy while we are waiting for swimmers. I have a stitchery project picked out. If that's something I choose to work on. I also have four (count them....four) magazines piled up that I haven't read yet. (This is unbelievable since I am a magazine freak.) And I have my crochet that I could take. It would be a perfect time to work on the red and purple afghan or some Nana Squares. It just depends on how hot it is outside. I can't work with yarn when I'm sweating. You know? So...today has some good possibilities lined up for me in the "no boredom" zone.