Playing The Role Of A “Detective”
Do you play "Detective" at times?
Playing “Detective” is an important role for a parent. What do I mean by this? Well, it never hurts to check up on what your teen is doing. You can do this in many different ways. Start by keeping all communication lines open. You want to give your teen privacy, but not secrecy. Keeping thoughts or feelings in secrecy is sometimes not as good as keeping things private.
Teens are very private when it comes to texting. As a parent it is our responsibility to make text checks. Checking your teens texts can tell you a lot of whats going on in your teens social life. I do not check my teens text messages all the time, however, I will every once in awhile take a peek.
I remember being a teen and sitting in the closet trying to find some privacy while I talked on the phone. You need to give your teen privacy, and at the same time be watchful. Teens need to have time to themselves for listening to music, unwinding, reading, texting, face booking, etc.
Therefore, it is okay to close the door off to the outside world and enjoy some alone time. My teen enjoys doing all these things in privacy and there is nothing wrong with it. I also feel there is nothing wrong with a little parental check in every once in awhile. Teens face many challenges, temptations, and pressures, which is why I feel it is okay for me to play detective every now and then.
How do you play detective when it comes to your children? How do you stress the importance of communication?
