As a parent to a teen, you have the power to act towards your child’s welfare. You undergo some challenges by so doing. But even in the wake of all that, as a parent, you have rights to make regarding your kid’s health, education and care. Which begs the question, what rights do teen parents have?

Provide education for your child

A parent has the right to provide education to their teen. Apart from enrolling your teen in a learning institution, educate your child by reading with them, giving guidance, and ensuring diligence in their undertakings. Be a good role model and be involved in their education. Work with teachers and find out what your teen does in school. Numerous school visits will assure the teen that there is value in what they are doing in school.

Teach Social values and skills

A parent has a right to teach their teen social values through life experiences. Use their everyday experiences and personal experiences to model good values. As a parent, your teen is still in a rebellious stage; it is your right to good mold characters in your child that will help deal with rebelliousness and cope with emotional tantrums. Let the children learn the art of apologizing when mistakes are made. Let them know social skills during social interactions with their peers.

Molding their characters calls for patience as you learn how to respect their opinions and not deliberately embarrass them in public.

Instil discipline

As a parent, you have a right to instill discipline in your teen. Let the teen know there are boundaries in doing some things: set limits and clear expectations on how you want something done and give consequences. Show them how things are done and appreciate them when they do it right.

Provide physiological needs to your teen

A parent has a right to provide for physiological needs. Physiological needs are the lowest levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and are essential to a growing child. They include providing an excellent nutritional diet, comfortable sleep, warmth, clothing, shelter, and exercise. A comfortable child will give you easy parenting steps, but a disturbed teen will be very irrational and will not give you rest as a parent.

To understand and give emotional needs.

If you can’t understand your child’s emotional needs, no one else will. It is the right of a parent to give love and affection to their teen. The teen could be pressured by schoolwork, friends, playgroups, or other social groups. Please encourage them to talk out their feelings as you listen. Support them emotionally and understand their deepest feelings. Open communication will help the teen feel loved and pour out their feelings readily. This way, you can know the truth and monitor their behaviors outside the home.

Provide psychological needs 

As a parent, you have a right to provide self-esteem, orientation and control, attachment, and pleasure. Showing unconditional love fulfills affection between the two of you; the opportunity to play with others builds self-esteem and provides for increased pleasure. Satisfaction or violation of psychological needs impacts the development of teens. It is thus vital to understand the psychological needs of teens to help them make sense of the changes that they are undergoing as they grow.

Financially support your child.

Parents have a right to give financial support to their teens. The teen is still dependent on you as a parent for everything suitable, from food to clothing. Have a sharper insight into tracking your expenses and have a budget. To achieve this, as a parent, show your teen that costs need to be less than the income. It will help unrealistic expectations from your teen.

Protect your child from any harm or form of abuse

As a parent, you have a right to provide safe and secure surroundings. Protect your child from any external and internal harm or abuse from strangers, friends, immediate family members, educators, etc. Always be there and talk to your kids concerning their movements and activities during the day. Be ready to listen when they are faced with adversities.

Monitor communication

A parent has a right to monitor the communication made by kids in the house. Communication could be through digital devices. This way, the parent will guard their kids against accidental exposure to unwarranted social media content, engaging strangers, and risking cyberbullying. So many communication devices fall into the hands of the young ones; without proper guidance, they fall prey to strangers and prolific adult content.

A Word from Parentingolderkids

As a parent, you have legal rights and responsibilities. Never hesitate to do the right thing for your child; always follow your instincts. As a parent, knowing your rights and exercising them will help you make decisions regarding your child’s health, care, and education, among other life issues.

However, never underestimate the power of your words; words will build or destroy your child’s future. As a parent, you are the only person a teenager trusts with his education, values, discipline, and needs. Do not let your rights overshadow the rights of the teen.