For more tips on building assets, check out our “Parent Survival Guides”
Support
- Talk about everyday stuff every day
- Ask your teen if you can follow their social media accounts
- Encourage your teen to talk to your neighbours
- The car is a great place to open up with your teen on what’s going on in their life
- Encourage your teen to connect with an adult other than yourself – a family member, a neighbour etc.
Empowerment
- Encourage your teen to connect with a mentor in a career field they are interested in
- Help your teen explore volunteer opportunities that align with their interests
- Encourage your teen to take a leadership role in their community
- Give your teen some responsibilities within the family
Boundaries & Expectations
- Set boundaries with your teen and make sure they understand the reasoning behind them
- Talk with your teens about family rules and consequences
- Be a positive influence
- Talk with your teen about how their choices affect you, the family and others
- Get to know your teen’s circle of friends
Constructive Use of Time
- Encourage your teen to get involved in at least one hobby or club at school
- Visit arts or music festivals with your teen
- Let your teen create or find a piece of art for their bedroom
- Have a regular family night to do something fun together
Commitment to Learning
- Continue learning experiences throughout the summer
- Encourage reading for pleasure
- Have your teen explore their cultural heritage
- Have your teen swap books with friends, or organize a community book swap
- Teach your teen something new
Positive Values
- Offer a friend or a neighbour a helping hand – teens learn by example
- Remember that mistakes are part of growing up
- Have your teen write down what they believe, post it where they will see it often
- Encourage your teen to try new things
Social Competencies
- Have your teen decide on what’s for dinner once a week and help out in the kitchen
- Have your teen help plan the next family vacation
- With your teen, reflect on one good thing that happened each day and share it with others
- Vow to say one encouraging thing to your teen each day
Positive Identity
- Encourage your teen to stop comparing themselves with others
- Acknowledge your teen’s natural strengths and abilities
- Reflect on what makes your teen unique
- Discover what your family identity is – the behaviours that show your family’s values; respecting elders, being a team player. For example, “In our family, we do this….”
