This virus is driving you crazy, but how do your teens feel about it? A Guest Post by Ariana Ardeleanu
This virus is driving everyone crazy including your teens. They are stuck at home and they can’t see their friends or even most of their family, and always telling them what they do wrong doesn’t help.
Think back to when you were their age. You most likely didn’t want your parents budding in on your business or yelling at you when you mess up. Your kids are the same way. Sometimes they need space and taking their phone away is a good punishment, but not all the time. Just think about it, it’s already hard for them not to be able to see any of their friends, but now they can’t talk to them either.
To keep your teen happy – you should engage them in family walks or bike rides. Another thing you can do is bake together or just talk with them. One thing I personally like is when my parents watch a movie with me or when we all watch our favorite tv show together.
To keep your teen healthy – during quarantine make sure they eat right, get plenty of sleep, and a lot of exercise. Some activities you can do to help them stay in shape is running up and down the stairs for 1 minute every day, or you can search up workouts online. If your teen is involved in a sport it’s very important that they work out and do drills every day (yes, even weekends) so that they stay in shape and don’t lose any skills.
In my family, we have a routine we have to follow every day. We start out the day by getting up and brushing our teeth, then we have to eat and start our E-learning. When we finish our work for the day we do chores around the house and take our dog on a walk. After the walk, I do my volleyball and P.E. workouts. When I finish all of that I am allowed to do whatever I want until dinner when I have to help cook the meal for the day. When we finish eating dinner we all watch a movie and then go to our rooms to relax on our own.
Despite having a routine, make sure your teen has fun. If they are bored all day they are more likely to act out or do things they’re not supposed to. Some things you can do with them include painting, building things, playing sports, and so much more; be creative and think of something they would like.
Most teens really hate having to be quarantined but we all like it a little bit. It reduces the stress from school and we have fewer tests to study for and less work to do. It’s nice to have a break but at the same time, they would rather be in school. So just be patient with them because they are also going through a tough time.
During the quarantine make sure that your teen knows how much you care about them but don’t be afraid to punish them if they need it, but before you do ask yourself if they would normally act out like that and, if not, talk to them to see what’s on their mind.
These times are hard for everyone and as a parent try to be patient with your children since we are all stuck in the same house 24/7. Make sure to spend a lot of time with your teen but also give them their space if needed.
Ariana Ardeleanu is in the 8th grade and lives in the midwest. She loves playing soccer and volleyball. She is the oldest sibling in her family and has a younger sister; she also has a little dog. Ariana loves the summer and hanging out with her friends. She loves going to the pool and carnivals. Ariana also loves to travel with her family and before the coronavirus outbreak they traveled often.
