Sometimes we forget our teenagers are little humans.

Sometimes we forget our teenagers are little humans.  

Humans who don’t always make good choices. 
Humans who sometimes make big mistakes.

Soon after my son got his driver’s license, he came home and told me he got in an accident.

“Old Jeanine” would have exploded with anger and punished him.

But a punishment doesn’t teach your teen WHY their behavior is problematic.

A punishment tries to change their behavior through control, force, and shame.

“New Jeanine” thought, “Teenagers are new drivers. They get in accidents.”

After learning no one was hurt, “new Jeanine” responded calmly, “That must have been really scary. How did you handle it?”

A bit later I asked, “What will you do differently to prevent this happening again?” and “How will you take care of the damages?”

Listen, your teen is not going to get it right all the time.

But this approach allows your teen to learn from their mistakes. 

When you tell yourself, “This is part of the journey of growing and maturing.” you save yourself a lot of frustration.

You can instill responsibility AND be compassionate at the same time.

This isn’t always easy.

But it is doable.

It’s possible to leave behind “old you” who feels frustrated, angry, and disappointed. 

Come coach with me to create “new you” who leads a conversation with confidence, love, and tenderness so you positively impact your teen and feel good about it.

♥️ Jeanine

P.S. You might feel hesitant to reach out, but I’ve got you. Book a complimentary consultation HERE to explore working together.

P.P.S. Head on over to Instagram for more parenting strategies.