Is your teenager out every weekend partying hard till the sun comes up? Of course,adolescence is a time where teenagers are experiencing many things for the first time and hanging out with their pals dancing the night away may just be one way of your teen’s self-expression. But when is your teenager’s partying time, too much?
Reminding your teenager about setting priorities straight
Teenagers are definitely at a stage in their life where enjoying themselves may be top priority, but here’s where you come in as parent. As much as your teen wants to shake her booty at a dance party, you’ve got to remind her to slow down and make sure that she’s got her priorities straight. If it feels like your teen is asking you for permission to go out all the time, you’ve got to set the house rules and stick to them. If you show your teenager that you can bend the house rules for him/her a couple times, he/she may just end up ignoring them altogether. Of course, this isn’t good for you as a parent! As much as your children have their own rights and teens shouldn’t be abused, you shouldn’t let your own teenagers abuseyou as parent as well.
Reorganizing one’s priorities
A reorganization of priorities may be exactly what your troubled teen needs. You will have to remind him/her that even if partying the weekend away is just about all he/she wants to do, no matter what Monday will come and he/she has got to get him/herself to class just the same. This will be doubly hard to do if your teenager has gotten so used to a party-hard weekend that by Monday it doesn’t even feel comfortable for him/her to be seated at his/her desk at school.
On the other hand, never letting your teenager out for the occasional young social gathering will definitely end up making him/her party-hungry. Balance is key. What may be of more importance is knowing exactly what your teen prioritizes and if he/she is sticking to it. If your teenager can be responsible enough to party on a Friday night but keep him/herself just as focused on his/her assignments come Monday, then letting him/her have his/her fun is not a point against you as a parent.
Your teenager should be aware of the proper priorities and keep these in place, even while taking time to relax and chill with his/her pals.