Teenagers and Christmas - two words that are hard to bring together in harmony. Here's everything you need to know about getting your teen involved.
Christmas is a wonderful time of year and when you are parents to young children, it can be the most magical time in your lives. Unfortunately, the kids grow up and as they do, you may find it hard to enjoy the magic of Christmas with older kids.
Teenagers can be tricky but understanding the way they have changed will help you in making Christmas a fun time for all the family.
Here are some things to know about teenagers and a happy Christmas:
Older kids need space.
Teenagers like to have their own space and you might find they want to go out and see their friends on Christmas Day which might cause some aggravation at home.
Pick your battles - if you do allow your teenager out to see their friends for a certain amount of time, make sure they know they’ll need to spend time with family when they return home.
They may want to show off their gifts but do try and plan to say to them that you’d rather they stay at home but again, try and meet in the middle so there are no arguments on the day.
You’ll need to make the effort.
If you want to spend time with your teenager on Christmas Day you may need to do something you don’t really like. It may be playing computer games, watching movies or tv shows you don’t like or listening to music you have never heard of.
Remember as an adult, it is up to you to get the conversation going and try and have a nice Christmas. Teenagers will go to their room and stay there as they have everything they need there, so be the reason they want to come and join the family by making it fun for them to do so!
It won’t be easy.
There are times during Christmas when you will be wondering why you bother – don’t worry we all do it! Families are tough and when your children are teenagers it isn’t the same as when they were babies and full of magic and happiness! It’s tricky getting teenagers involved in family time, especially with technology but it is worthwhile doing.
Christmas is the one time of year when you can give your kids close attention and spend time with them without doing lots of other things at once. If your teen is not keen, it may be because they don’t know how to be around you like this, so pull up your sleeves and make it work. It will be worth it!
There will be rewards.
When it works out and you get your teenagers together for fun and Christmas inspired games it is obvious how worthwhile it is. Spending time with your teenager is never wasted and it will encourage a good relationship between you all too.
It may give you some ideas for the weeks ahead and it may mean your teenager will want to spend more time with you during the holidays and not just on Christmas Day.
