Celebrating the Good of Teens
Teenagers can often be thought of as moody, rebellious, and indecisive. But this doesn’t tell the whole story. While the teenage years can certainly bring its fair share of challenges and struggles, it can also be a time of immense growth and exploration. The teenage years are a unique time for self-discovery and growth, and it’s important for parents to understand the positive aspects of parenting teenagers and their changing needs.
So teens, this one’s for you.
In this blog post, we’ll be exploring the good things about teenagers, as well as how to parent them. We’ll cover how allowing them to make choices and be risk aware is a form of empowerment, their changing needs, and what love looks like when boundaries are fluid.
Before you begin, remember that our professionals are always here to help
5 Things Worth Celebrating for Teen mpowerment
Dear teen, you have so much to offer the world but too many people stop seeing you when you struggle with the enormity of your whole self in a half-yours life. You have so much potential yet you are given little power. It’s hard. We see that. But we want to recognize you for the incredible truths of this time in your life. You, right now, are worth celebrating and we wanna spend a little time on telling you why.
Here are 5 things that are incredible about you and where you’re at in life right now:
You’re exploring some powerful stuff
Being a teenager is a time of transformation and growth, with so much potential and opportunity. As a teen, you’re learning more each day about who you are and how you want to live your life. It’s an exciting time and one to be celebrated because you’ll explore your limits and develop healthy boundaries. You’ll move them, change them, shift them and, through them, you’ll find opportunities to embrace curiosity and explore your identity in ways that are uniquely yours.
2. You’ll discover some incredible stuff
One of the most empowering things about being a teenager is that you have the opportunity to create your own identity. You have the freedom to explore different interests and hobbies and to try out different looks and styles. You don’t have to be like anyone else to find your place in the world - you can be unique and true to yourself. In addition to finding your own identity, this is a great time to start building relationships.
As a teen, you’re surrounded by peers, friends, family and mentors who can help you grow and develop. It’s important to find people who support you, but also to set healthy boundaries that make sure your relationships stay healthy. Learning how to negotiate and communicate your needs and expectations will serve you well in all areas of your life.
3. You will learn lessons - and carry them with you
While there are many lessons you’ll learn, we want to hone in on one: the lesson you’ll learn about how to love yourself in healthy, safe ways. Not everyone refuels and receives care in the same ways, nor can anyone else dictate what self-care and self-love need to look like for you. During these years where your needs fluctuate and your curiosity and energy are closely aligned with your emotional presence, it’s the ideal time to learn how to nourish your body and mind with healthy habits and activities that feel right for you.
You can try as many things as you’d like even if you are sure they won’t work. Go for long walks, take up a sport, or return to coloring like you did as a kid. Connect with the ground, create a hundred playlists or hone a hobby like gaming or writing that brings you toward your creativity. Try as many things as you want- you never know what will stick, but you can carry the lessons you learn with you to nurture yourself even when you’re still trying to learn who you are.
4. Your relationships will change lives
You’ll learn how you move through the world in relationships, and how relationships shape your world. The life of a teen is bracketed by relationships- parents, friends, peers, mentors, coaches, partners. Each of these people will take a unique role in your malleable reality during these years and those people will all ask something different from you.
Your relationships will teach you lessons that change you, and you’ll change others through the way you exist in their lives. Some of these lessons might hurt (a lot) and some may be vibrantly victorious. This will vary but the constant is that you’ll grow and learn. It’ll impact how you love your loved ones through the rest of your lifespan and that’s pretty magical.
5. You can always change your mind
This one is the simplest and requires no further explanation. It’s also the most powerful. No matter what you choose, decide, change or feel… you can change your mind. You can detour, re-write, move, alter, or shift your course. Your life is yours, your choices are valid and your right to change them is as well.
Empowering teens has somehow fallen out of fashion even though you are the foundation of innovation with an incredible well of wisdom that is not often recognized. Your views on life are unique. Your proximity to your emotions is too.
You have the energy, creativity and potential to make a difference. So take a moment to celebrate your unique gifts and strengths, and to set healthy boundaries that will help you grow and thrive. We’re sharing some of our most noticed, as parents and therapists, and we hope you’ll sit with them for a while and allow yourself to celebrate you too.
With love from Luna Joy, we’re here for you.
