Let’s face it, you’re never going to be as cool as your kids want you to be, especially if you have teenagers. If you are consistent with your rules, while treating your kids as you wish you had been treated, it might just lead to you being a pretty cool parent after all.
Let’s face it, you’re never going to be as cool as your kids want you to be, especially if you have teenagers. Whether you like it or not, you don’t totally understand them. Just like your parents didn’t understand you, your kids are CERTAIN you are wrong no matter how right you think you are.
I’ve heard a lot of talk lately that the problems with "Today’s Youth" (as the media likes to put it whenever a bad egg does something horrible) are due to parents not disciplining or punishing enough. A lot of parents say that you "can’t be your kid’s friend" and that parents being too soft leads to "Today’s Youth" acting up.
I for one believe there is a happy medium among it all. Consistency and follow-through with your own rules and boundaries around the house, mixed with respect is more likely the issue. If you are consistent with your rules, while treating your kids as you wish you had been treated, it might just lead to you being a pretty cool parent after all. Respect is often reciprocated no matter who you’re talking to.
Granted, there’s always going to be some fights like when they want to go to the party at Jimmy’s house Saturday night where you KNOW there’s going to be drugs, alcohol and probably sex. Being as understanding as you can in arguments like that, handling it professionally and explaining your concerns every step of the way will not go ignored, even if they don’t come around and side with you until they have kids of their own.
Even though they don’t get to do everything they want to now, you’ll look pretty cool in their minds if you at least respected them along the way.
To weasel your way into some instant Coolness, try this:
Pay for their friends’ tickets the next time you take them to the movies; if you’re "cool" in their friends’ eyes, you’re cool in theirs.
Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com,
a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children.
RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents
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