Runaway Prevention Tips for Parents
Pay Attention
When your
children are talking to you, listen. Don't just nod your
head while you are
watching television or reading the paper. don't just
pretend to listen to them.
Give respect
Acknowledge
and support your children's struggle to grow to
maturity. Understand. Try to sympathize with what your
kids are going through. Look at life at least
occasionally from their point of view. Remember that
when you were their age, your ideas seemed to make sense
to you.
Don't Lecture
All children
hate to be lectured to, especially teenagers. Kids
respond to clear information and direction, most of all
when they know the questions they ask will be answered.
Don't Label
Throwing of
useless labels will only confuse the real issues that
you wish to address.
Discuss
Feelings
Talk to your
children about what you feel and allow your children to
talk about their feelings too.
Create
Responsibility
Give your
children choices, not orders. Help them to understand
the consequences of their actions.
Positive
Praise
Describe your
child's positive and negative behavior and how it
affects others. Be specific and give praise to reward
good behavior. Do this at least as often (if not more
so) as you criticize behavior that you do not like.
Stop Hassling
Asking your
child too many questions only shuts off information.
Give them the opportunity to volunteer their thoughts
and feelings, while you show sincere interest.
Don't Always
Give the Answers
You want your
children to be able to find their own answers or
solutions to problems. You can help this by not giving
them the answers all of the time.
Use Team Work
Work together
with your child to lay out the problem then work
together to find a mutually agreeable solution.
The Key Issue
You must tell
your child that, NO MATTER WHAT, you will always love
them.
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