How to Raise Teenage Boys
Children, it has been said, are a gift that keeps on giving. They bring joy, laughter and worry into our lives. When they’re small, a petulant “no!” is pretty easy to deal with. As they get bigger, though, so do the challenges of raising them to be fine adults. Some people believe that teenage boys are the greatest challenge of all, but that is not necessarily the truth. Start out right, and it will be smooth sailing until they move out of the basement.
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Instructions
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Identify your tolerances while the boys are still young. What behaviors amuse you? Which ones can you tolerate? Which are absolutely unacceptable? When two parents join in the raising of young men, it is important that you agree on the big stuff, at least.
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Define the rules for those who live in your household. Do the boys have a curfew? Must they finish their homework before they have fun? How far may they wander from home? You may not know all the rules until after the boys have demonstrated their creative ability to make mischief. That's okay--you can always add to the list as each new occasion arises.
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Explain the rules to your boys; describe your expectations for them. They can’t follow rules they don’t know.
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Establish consequences for getting sideways with the rules. Perhaps you have heard that “rules are made to be broken,” but if you allow your boys to break all the rules, or if you refuse to establish solid boundaries for them, you must blame yourself for their wayward behavior.
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Enjoy them while they are young. Expect them to test you, and be prepared to pass that test in your own way. Don’t be so rigid in your expectations that they have no room to learn from small mistakes.
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