Model Healthy Relationships Being a good role model to our kids as we interact with our spouses and others is the first step toward ensuring they’ll develop healthy connections as teens and adults, Ponton and Brown say.
The old worries about teen pregnancy, tarnished reputations and broken hearts still apply, but today there are new risks due to rising rates of dating violence and sexually-transmitted infections (STIs).
What can a parent do to make sure their dating teens are happy and safe?
In my family, there’s an old saying that the teenagers will always come home safe and sound and on time from a date because they know daddy’s waiting on the front porch with a shotgun.
While meant as a joke, the story says something about parents’ age-old concerns for their teens when they begin to date.
Adult interaction is also vital to avoid the pitfall of relying too heavily on children to fill the gap left by an adult.
As a single parent, you have adult needs for intimacy, understanding, companionship, reassurance, encouragement and romance that can only be fulfilled by another adult.
"Letting your adult life revolve around your child's is actually very hard on your child." Adult one-on-one interaction is an important ingredient to successful parenting.
It allows you time to be a person as well as a parent, to rejuvenate, and to find help and friendship.
* Is the tension and conflict taking its toll on your relationships * Are you becoming worried about your children and their well-being?