Teens: Give me some advice?

I have kids aged 7 and 9. What should I do between now and when they are teenagers to make sure they are happy, self-confident, and keep the trust between us so they will take my advice when they are exposed to dangerous choices?Teens: Give me some advice?
As they start to get older and become middle schoolers, they're going to change-some change drastically others stay relatively the same. Make sure you give them some freedom but only in exchange for responsiblity. For example, make them clean the bathroom before going out with friends. This will help them in the long run by teaching them to take care of their priorities first, then have fun later. I just turned 15 a few weeks ago, and I think my parents have done a pretty good job so far in keeping me in check. Always make sure you know who they are hanging out with. Friends have a HUGE impact on their behavior and judgement. For example, my sister who is now 21, started dating a junior (17 yrs old) when she was a sophomore (15)...and thats when she lost her virginity. Crazy, huh? Because of that incident, my parents are always keeping tabs on my friends, and it makes me feel good that they care so much, but also I would like a little more trust from them. Teenage years are the craziest and most life changing years of our lives, so it's pretty hard to mess things up as a parent as long as you show your kids care, trust, and discipline, you'll be fine. Hope this helped!Teens: Give me some advice?
Some tips:


1) Talk to them often about sex/drugs but don't go overboard.


2) Tell them that it is important for them to have healthy bodies, but weight is not important (If I were you, I would actually take scales out of the house, especially if you have girls)


3) Make sure they know that you are open to talking to them. Tell them that if they do something wrong, you won't get angry with them as long as they are honest with you and take the consequences of their actions


4) Just be there. Most teens naturally go to their parents when they are upset about something, but sometimes parents seem inaccessable. Listen if they have something to tell you, no matter how unimportant it may seem.


5) When your kids come to you with a problem and talk about it, don't bring up that problem the next time you are talking to them. My mom always does that. Wait for them to bring the problem up again themselves. Don't check up on it. Sometimes they have problems that they need to talk about once but don't really want to talk about again because they got better and they don't want reminders.


6) Emphasize internal beauty rather than external. Teach your kids to be happy with themselves the way they are and their adolescent years will be much easier. Also, teach them healthy eating habits because teens tend to forget these things.


7) Teach your kids now how to do simple household chores. Teenagers tend to become more independant and want to get things done themselves. If they know how to make simple things and feed themselves, life will be easier for them later.


8) Teach them good study habits in school. School only gets harder when you get older, and a sense of organization and the ability to plan makes things a lot easier.


9) Relax. A lot of things kids need to learn before they become teens, they learn on their own. Don't be overbearring and give your kids a little space. Set boundaries and let them wander a little to figure things out. It will help.





Good luck! I'm sure you'll do fine!
be their friend, and DONT talk down about yourself, becuase your their role model, like for example dont be like '' man my hair sucks today or i need to loose weight!'' because it''ll just carry on over to them and make them have no confidence about themselves. because they see you as beautiful, andthen they think '' oh well if she's that beautiful and feels that way, how must i look...'' anyway, just be their friend, listen to them when they want to talk, dont get angry in anything! thats what most kids are afraid of that their parents will get mad at them if they tell them certain things, be VERY paitent and calmed. and later on they will feel comfortable talking with you about anything.
You give them choices





If you do ';this'; then ';this'; will happen or be the result of your actions





However if you do this then the result will be such





They will decide the option with the best outcome





Your children are like all others, they just need the outcome of their actions to be illuminated before them and they will make the best decision
when they want to talk to you about something dint pretend they are 5 years old. talk to them like you would to anyone else. answer their questions seriously, my mom talked to me seriously and answered all of my questions and i tell her about EVERYTHING. also don't pressure them into talking to you (unless it is important) they will talk to you when they are ready. give them some space and they will talk to you.
me and my sister are 2 years a part too and we like to go places. well i'm now 15 and my sis is 17 so we have become close in that time period. we liked to do things together like play outside and play the playstation of course!!! lol just keep them close because this is the time where they will really start to know what life is about and knowing that they have a sibling to count on when ever need be is a great feeling. good luck!! best wishes
i'm a teen and i have smoking problems cause my parents always smoked and let me around people who smoke in the house in the car and around us when we were kids make sure u don't let that happen or they'll end up like me and my best friend trying to quite cause we know its not good but its way hard after u get addicted one time is all it takes
Im not a teen, but I read a book called ';how to behave so your kids will too'; and ';children live what they learn';. The books give a lot of examples of how to build their independence, self-esteem, self-confidence, etc.





Helped me with my son.
encourage them, let them have there space but be there and talk with them. let them know your always there for them, and most importantly let them express themselves for who they really are
have rules and boundaries and stick with them - it shows you care