How to Make Your Teens Love Spending Time at Home
Numerous changes may occur in your children as they get older and begin to enter adolescence. Their social, mental, emotional, and physical development will start. Additionally, teenagers will begin to show interest in previously uninterested topics. Teens enjoy going out with their pals and having a good time. Parents may feel that they don’t see their own children very often during these periods because they prefer to spend time with others their own age. Of course, it might be considerably more concerning for parents during a worldwide pandemic.
Every parent wants to spend more time with their kids, but that isn’t always the case, particularly if your kid enjoys going out. Additionally, there are occasions and circumstances in which kids might spend a little more time at home, even if their parents shouldn’t forbid them from hanging out and spending time with their friends. What can parents do, then, to encourage them to remain at home?
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How to make your teens love spending time at home?
Teenagers are at the age when they want to explore on their own. They are having their first taste of freedom and long to spend more time with their new friends and experience things together with their peers. While any parent would also want their children to grow and develop socially, given the current situation, there may be some doubt and anxiety about their children going out too much.
For worrying parents, we have a few tips to help make it easier for your teens to love staying at home.
1. Have entertainment at home
Teenagers are always looking for new ways to be occupied and entertained. They are at the age where they are looking for fun or something they can focus on, this is why spending time with their friends and going out is appealing to them.
You can also recreate the experience with them by purchasing streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime which can give you access to unlimited TV shows and movies. Watching films or shows together with them is a great way to bond as you are taking the highs and lows of the movie’s storyline with each other. It also gives you a chance to communicate with your teen and discuss the movie or show along the way. After the movie, you can even talk to your child about your favorite characters, a scene that struck you the most, or plotholes and questions you have noticed. It’s a great way to start a conversation with your teen that will engage them to share their thoughts openly as well.
You can attempt games with your child, such as using gaming consoles that let you play games as a family, if they aren’t very interested in movies or TV shows. There are additional games that will make you move, which is another excellent approach to keep your child active. Try the less expensive option, which is board games, if this is too costly. There are numerous board games to pick from, including Snakes and Ladders and Monopoly. Additionally, you can try card games like Uno.
In addition to the aforementioned, you may find out what your teen is interested in right now. You might be able to spend time with them at home studying a new instrument if they are somewhat interested in music. Knowing your child’s areas of interest can also help you come up with more suggestions for activities that will keep them occupied at home.
2. Keep the house clean and organized
Nobody will enjoy being at home in a filthy and disorganized setting. Your child will feel more at ease in a clean and orderly atmosphere, so try to keep the house as structured as you can while also working together to ensure that everything is always in its proper place. Organizers and drawers are a terrific way to start decluttering your home and creating a cleaner, more spacious atmosphere.
As a result, you are not required to do the housework yourself. You can assign each family member a household task or schedule a cleaning day when everyone will work together to tidy the house. You will have more time to spend with your teen and your family in addition to completing the chores together. Every family can enjoy a more welcoming and approachable atmosphere and feel more at ease when they are at home when the house is tidy and clean.
3. Eat meals as a family
Nobody will enjoy being at home in a filthy and disorganized setting. Your child will feel more at ease in a clean and orderly atmosphere, so try to keep the house as structured as you can while also working together to ensure that everything is always in its proper place. Organizers and drawers are a terrific way to start decluttering your home and creating a cleaner, more spacious atmosphere.
As a result, you are not required to do the housework yourself. You can assign each family member a household task or schedule a cleaning day when everyone will work together to tidy the house. You will have more time to spend with your teen and your family in addition to completing the chores together. Every family can enjoy a more welcoming and approachable atmosphere and feel more at ease when they are at home when the house is tidy and clean.
4. Know what they are going through
It’s not easy being in the “know” with your teen, especially when they are at the age when they are starting to want to do things on their own. However, it’s still important for you to know what your child is going through and care about them appropriately. This means that you can help them in ways they want to be helped in.
For instance, instead of insisting on connecting or spending time with them, offer them more room to concentrate if they are studying hard or anxious about their tests. Invite them to watch a movie with you or spend some time in the kitchen “testing” new dishes if they’re feeling under the weather or otherwise ill. Even if they might not be ready to discuss their emotions, you can still show them that you are there to listen at any moment by spending some quiet time with them.
Being an understanding and accessible parent who your kid knows they can let their guard down with when they get home is essential to a positive connection. After all, your child is still your child even if they are becoming a young adult. You will also gain a better understanding of them if you are aware of what is happening with them.
5. Give them privacy
Teenagers will not be as eager as they once were to discuss personal matters or topics they believe their parents won’t comprehend as they mature into adults. As much as possible, they will prefer to keep things to themselves. As a result, you might see them constantly hooked to their phones (if they have any), making lengthy calls, or desiring to speak privately with their closest friends.
Do not take this personally as it’s normal for teens to relate more to people in their group age. You don’t have to freak out as a parent. Demanding or expecting your teens to come to you instead of their friends will be counter-effective and honestly very unlikely to happen. Give them the space that they need to figure things out on their own and experience life stages as a teenager while also making sure you will be available when they need you.
6. Give them a fixed amount of allowance
Maintaining a certain amount of sensible money as your teen’s allowance is another strategy to assist keep them from going out too much. It will not only prevent them from going out excessively, but it will also teach them how to budget and how to spend their money wisely. For instance, if they have a plan in advance that calls for a larger amount, it will teach them to save for this month. With a larger strategy in place, they will be able to manage their allowance and cut back on their outings.
Of course, parents should also be reasonable in the amount they want to give to their child which would also allow them to go out every now and then. It is still important for teens to have a great social life to form connections and learn from their experiences.
Conclusion
Making your teen’s house a place where they feel understood, encouraged, and entertained rather than limiting their independence is the key to creating an atmosphere they love and feel at ease in. Parents may strengthen their bond and encourage teens to spend more time at home by providing stimulating activities, keeping the place nice, sharing nutritious meals, honoring their desire for privacy, and being aware of their emotional needs. In the end, it’s about striking a balance between presence and independence and demonstrating to them that home not only refers to their physical location but also to their acceptance and affection.
Carelle
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
