How to help your teen find their purpose

It’s one of the biggest roles you’ll take on as a parent. You’ll be a guide and mentor when your children hit the age of making their own decisions, and they will continue to look to you to point them the right way. When the time comes to treat your teen as the burgeoning young adult they’re slowly becoming, what do you need to do to help them on their way? The points below will hopefully help you to help them navigate what is a difficult question for many people of all ages, “What is my purpose?”

Talk about their MANY options

It’s a good idea to never lock your child into feeling like they only have one route to walk. After all, this one route isn’t suitable for all of us.

You’d never want your teenager to feel like they’re trapped, especially by the people who love them most in the world. You want to grant them a sense of freedom here. To do that involves reminding them about all the possibilities for what happens next.

So, maybe it is heading to university and then building a career. Or, maybe it’s getting an apprenticeship, and moving straight into a trade.

Or, perhaps it’s just taking a bit of time to figure out their true passion, and then moving into the working world. Just make sure they know that you’re there at every step, and that you support their choices.

Teach them confidence

Confidence is something that comes to some people naturally. But for others, it’s very much a learned process that takes significant time.

After all, we can get confidence knockbacks in all areas of life. When far too many of them happen over a short period of time, a person can really withdraw into their shell.

This point is true for teenagers more than anyone else on the planet. It’s why places like the Eva Carlston Academy exist to help teens find an outlet to gain confidence and break through those barriers other people set up for them.

Above all else, confidence can be learned over time. Just make sure you know who’s teaching it to your teen and that you’re sure they’re benefitting from it.

Encourage independence

For many teenagers, they rely so heavily on their parents and support network that they never truly learn how to be independent. If your teenager is looking to flourish as an individual and feel liberated from their surroundings, you may want to look into boarding school admissions. This is a big decision to make for you and your child, so have an open and honest discussion about the advantages of enrolling in a boarding school.

Many parents don’t realize how valuable an education away from home can be, as it teaches their children the life skills that they may not be exposed to in their comfort zone. This option isn’t for everyone, but it’s certainly worth exploring with your child.

Set an emotional example

Finally, never let your teen go a day without talking about their experiences, whether good or bad. You want them to know they can talk about how they feel and what they got up to, openly and honestly, and that starts by setting the example yourself.

Start by talking about your own feelings, and encourage your teen to do the same by sharing their own. Try to instill the same value in them as they get older and older.

Emotions aren’t something we have to just grin and bear. Even the negative ones can be a learning experience for the betterment of your teen’s health and happiness.

Your teen probably has a lot of hopes and dreams. Make sure they have a plan to attain those things as well.