Enjoying a Good Relationship with Your Son or Daughter (page 2)

Whether you are married, a single parent, a grandparent, or guardian, you can enjoy a good relationship with your child, pre-teen or teen. You can do this by being available for your son or daughter, showing that you love him or her, and building trust between you and your son or daughter.

It’s also important that you act like a parent. What do we mean by that? A lot of parents try to be their son or daughter’s friend. That’s not what he or she needs from you. He or she needs you to be a parent. Sometimes, your son or daughter may not like you, and he or she will get angry at you – like when you enforce the rules. (And let’s face it: this is a normal part of being a parent.) But he or she will love and respect you. Here are some more suggestions:

Being Available. Spend as much time as you can with your son or daughter. But even if you have to work a lot, maybe even more than one job to take care of your family, you can still be available to your son or daughter. You can show that you are available by listening when your son or daughter asks a question or wants to tell you about something that’s happened. And find things to do and places to go together.

It’s important to be involved in your child’s life. This is true for mothers and fathers – research shows that mothers and fathers make a big difference for children. Studies show that mothers and fathers are just as important for helping children be healthy and do well in school. It is important that mom and dad be involved even if they are not living together, and even if mom or dad is not living with the children.

Showing Your Love. When it comes to making your child, pre-teen or teen feel loved, what you do is as important as what you say. Your son or daughter needs to see that you care. Go to his or her school and after-school events, like plays or sporting events. Meet with your son or daughter’s teachers. Do something with your son or daughter that he or she likes to do – go to the mall, a ballgame, or a movie. Start a conversation with him or her. A good way is to just ask a question about what’s going on at school or other activities.