Today’s teenagers, tomorrow’s leaders!

If you are a teenager, you must read it.

A couple of days ago, one of my relatives called me and asked me to write a blog for teenagers. His idea was to make teenagers aware of what parent’s expectations are and how to handle those expectations. If your age is falling between 13 to 19, you are a teenager and you can get benefits from this blog. Today’s teenagers, tomorrow’s leaders!

An article must-read for the parent too.

Even if you are no longer a teenager, this information will still be useful to you. Perhaps you will become the parent or guardian sooner, or you already have young kids. I hope, this article will benefit all readers.

Why teen-age is a critical phase in life?

Teenage period is when a youngster is in the process of developing from a child into an adult. This age is a very critical phase in developing lifetime habits and nourishing a healthy and rich mind.

Children might get exposed to good or bad social element plus their interactions and reactions may make them successful or futile in their life.

As children grow, they get to know about their rights, start thinking about different plans, and need to express their opinions with freedom. Sometimes, their ideas and thought processes start clashing with parents, teachers and other heads around.

Changes in body and hormones

During teenage you will notice some strange changes in your physical body and mind, you are going to become an adult. Different hormonal changes appear in the body, depending upon your gender. Normal physical and sexual developments happen during teenage hormonal changes.

These hormones may affect your mood, emotions, and desires as well as your physical body. At this stage, your body and mind are being directed by your own choices. If you feel weird and you do not know how to handle such changes, talk to your guardians. Let them know what you are going through, they will help you and educate you on your situations. In fact, practically everything as a teen you go through during adolescence is a normal part of your development.

Teenager’s novice thinking approach

Since teenagers start experiencing the world around with their novice thinking approach, they often have very limited knowledge about people, world and situations around them. Thus they can become prey of bad companionship around. For many adolescents, it’s also a time for taking risks and exploring new ideas and experiences.

David Ludden, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Georgia Gwinnett College has mentioned about teenagers’ psychology and why they do crazy things in his Article on psychlogytoday.

Parent’s dilemma to limit children’s exposure to bad company or bad habits.

Meanwhile, pressure from parents on keeping their communication alive with their children brings extra pressure on teenagers.

Some parents start putting barriers against their children by punishing or limiting their approach in a certain way so that children get limited exposure to bad instances. But this approach will just limit teenagers seeing what they want them to see and what parents feel it is bad. It will not help them how to handle situations if they encounter similar immoral traps.

Obviously, adults have more experience than teenagers knowledge of what is healthy or wicked. But if they don’t use a proper way to educate their children of right and wrong, children may think it is just an additional boundary and use of authority by their guardians to limit them from exploring the world.

Teenager’s perplexity about limits from their guardians

The adolescents cannot know why limits are placed on their day to day life unless they are aware of various consequences from people, self habits or events.

Their thinking is still short term and they want to achieve things right now. Regardless what outcome such habits may produce, pleasure is most important to them. The temptations of pleasure are higher than long term happiness goals.

If parents do not take precautions, youngsters get trapped into the thought process of their elders, thus limit their ability to think out of the box.

Why parents put restrictions?

Parents always want to see their children grow healthy and live a prosperous life. They know the life challenges better as they have gone through this phase and have experienced many similar situations youth are facing now. They just want to restrict their children from becoming prey to poor habits and immoral companies.

Parents aspire to create a pattern of good principles in children’s lives, so in the future, children follow their principle paradigm to take charge of the situation. Their main objective is to create a shield against fiascos and prepare children to fight in the situation of failure.

“Remember, the key to success is how you fight during your failure time. There is no term as loser, the only terms are “the winner” or “the fighter”, unless you stop fighting to win.”

Parents put restrictions to know that children won’t always get from life what they want or what they need. They will get what they deserve which depends upon how valuable they become. Don’t forget, people grow valuable by solving problems and handling their failures.

Today’s teenagers tomorrow’s leaders

Now let us get to the point and see why teenagers need to think in a constructive way. Until now they depend upon parents or guardians payroll. Some of them may rely on parents help in many day to day life necessities.

After the completion of education, the main struggle of life begins. At this stage, think positively and be prepared to handle any situation in the future.

Education is the key to success, so educate yourself for the best and know what you can achieve with your abilities.

Today you are a teenager, tomorrow, you can be a front runner. If you want to achieve success, you need to think like a leader from now.

Remember, you can achieve more than you think what you can.

Your present thought process will decide what kind of person tomorrow you will be. Your role as an adult in a society mostly depends upon today’s planning. You can be a great leader, businessman, employed in an organization, or great contributor to the world.

But I need to live life the way I want to

Yes, absolutely, you need to live your life the way you want to. But before that, you require to develop yourself, know what your life objectives are and how to achieve them.

You are free to express your ideas, but you also need to know that certain thoughts are destructive in nature. Limit your destructive thoughts.

You do not have experience in handling critical situations in a way your elders do. Knowing about what is bad will help you learn how to protect yourself from its consequences.

Prepare yourself to handle life’s struggle.

Build a strong bond with your parent or guardians

All children love their parents and I am sure you must be doing so. Take your parent as your friend, it will help you discuss your day to day concerns with them. Also, they can give you their unsolicited advice in a friendly way, so it won’t hurt your feelings in case it is against your opinion.

Don’t keep your conversation limited to your family concerns, there is the whole world to discuss about. Explore the world with them as you would do with your friends.

For instance, choose any topic from sports, work, current events or local neighborhood issues. Tell few jokes, keep your environment full of humor, laugh with them.

Share with your parents or guardians what bothers you.

Sometimes it is not easy to share everything with your parents, especially when they drive you crazy with their to-do and not-to-do lists. But remember, your resentment can bring an obstruction in your relationship with them. Don’t let your gap of communication eat away your relationship with them.

Sharing your concerns with parents will help you get proper guidance from them. Do not take your parents’ advice for the cause of their approval. Remember, you are going to be an adult soon and you need to take your decisions on your own. Learn from their guidance, and know that they will give their advice best in your interest and based on the most suitable knowledge and experience they have.

Know what is bad for your health

Certain habits are bad for your health. For example, cigarette smoking, consuming alcohol, or taking prohibited drugs are bad for your health.  If somebody in your school or college is asking you to try, refuse it in the first instance. Your refusal will let them know that you are not willing to start this habit and you recognize its long-run adverse impact on your health. Sometime, they may ask you to try only one time, but don’t get trapped in their web, be away from them.

If you are not able to distinguish between good and bad habits, get help from your guardians.

“Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.”

– Aristotle

Know what bad company for you is and keep yourself away from them

During teenage, your drive to do some crazy things is at high, and same drive other teenagers have too. Your motive to make friends is at a peak. You make many friends, some of them are good, while others are bad. Friendship with good fellows helps you boost your energy and explore new ideas and creativity.

Sometimes exposure to bad personalities make you and your friends do irrational activities. Like bullying others or generate hate against a particular group or person. These motives come from evil minds and corrupt intentions.

Be aware of these people and distant yourself from them. If they insist, give some rational excuse and move away. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. After all, this is your choice to make friends whomever you want to.

If a person is lying, being greedy, always talk negative, showing jealousy, know that, you are in a bad company. Get out of this company to save yourself from being a victim.

Know what is bullying and how to stop it?

Types of bullying are mentioned on Stopbullying.gov

According to this site. Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance.

Verbal, social and physical are some of the types of bullying.

• Verbal Bullying: If somebody is trying to tease you, using tags to your name, throwing inappropriate sexual comments, taunting or threat to harm you.
• Social Bullying: If somebody is trying to leave you out on purpose, telling other children not to befriend you, spreading rumors about you, or embarrassing you in public.
• Physical bullying: If someone is hitting, kicking, punching, pushing, spitting, making rude hand gestures, or breaking your things.

Hence, do not ignore bullies. Know if someone is bullying you, and report it to you guardians or teachers on an immediate basis.

Limit your screen time

During teenage, your nervous system is developing at the highest. Your screen time reduces mental nervous system development. Less screen time is better for your mind and body. The American Academy of Pediatrics (The AAP) and other child health advocates have urged parents to limit their children’s screen time.

The more you spend time on TV, games or other gadgets, the less your chances to engage in educational and social activities.

Sometimes, it is necessary to use the screen in order to get educated in many areas. But keep in mind, do not let gadgets control you. You keep control of how much time you will spend on screens. My suggestion is to keep it around one to one and a half hour per day.

Exercise daily

Daily exercise is the best way to keep yourself healthy. The lifestyle you will learn now will more likely stay with you when you turn into an adult.

Make habit of making exercise for at least 40 to 60 minutes every day. You can decide to walk, run, and play football or do any other physical sport.

Regular exercise improves blood circulation in your body. It keeps your mind active, your body healthy and fit. Also, it will help you handle your hormonal changes in a better way during your teenage period.

Enjoy your life

Live in the moment, enjoy your life. Find out what you are passionate about. Make your life happening, full of energy, passionate, and inspiring. Whatever you want to achieve, feel free to use your creativity to accomplish it. Be happy every time. Remember, happiness first, success next.

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