7 Conversations With Teenagers Worth Having

Last Updated on September 26, 2022 by Michele Tripple

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Having conversations with teenagers can at times be hard, but here are 7 conversations worth having with your teenagers. Take it from me, talk with teens! They are truly amazing and you will learn a lot from each other.

7 Conversations With Teenagers Worth Having
Mom and dad sitting at the table with their teenage son in between them. Mom has her hand on the son's head while he is writing in a book. Dad is smiling at his son.

7 Things You Need to Talk With Your Teen About

Conversations With Teens Before they Start High School

I can’t believe I will be sending my oldest off to High School in a matter of a few weeks! It seems like just yesterday he was running around in diapers. Do you feel like parenting is getting harder as our kids get older? I feel like it changes as our kids get older. We go from taking care of every single one of their needs to teaching them how to be a little more independent when they become school age kids.

Then they hit their teenage years and they are so independent and want to do everything without asking for help or your opinion!

Talk with Teens

When they hit their teenage years I think every parent prays that they have taught their kids enough and instilled values in their lives to have them be successful! Here are 7 conversations tough conversations you need to have with your teens before they start high school.

Who Are You?

The first talk with teenagers you should have is who they are! Teach your teen who they are and their worth. They need to know who they are! It is not a matter of what sports they play, or how popular they are. It doesn’t even matter how good of a student they are. What matters is what is on the inside. Teach them where they came from and where they are going. The better they feel about who they are the better they will be at overcoming hard things they will face.

RELATED ARTICLE: Teenager Peer Pressure Conversations You Need to Have

I am beautiful, strong, confident, important, capable, courageous. I am enough!

Teach them to be confident. To stand proud, and do what they know is right. When they know their individual worth, others will treat them with this same value and worth!

It is important that your teen carries themselves with the image they want others to see. Teach your girls to dress how they want to be seen. Our outward appearance sends a message. So, teach your teen to ask the question, “What kind of message am I sending?” with my dress, appearance, attitude, language, and actions?

Finding Good Friends

Another talk with teenagers you should have is how to find good friends. Talk about the qualities of good friends. Chat with them about why it is important to have good friends that hold your values and beliefs. Talk to them about what a true friend is and explain the importance of being this to their friends. 

Peer Pressure

It is sad that our teens have so much Peer Pressure around them. Talk to them about how to handle peer pressure and what to do when they are in a situation where peer pressure is present!

RELATED ARTICLE: The Vaping Epidemic Sweeping America’s High Schools

Drugs and Alcohol

profile of someone smoking a cigarrette

As parents, we don’t want to think our teens will ever be in a position where they will be faced with drugs and alcohol. Nor do we ever want to think our teen will try drugs or alcohol. But the reality is, they will be faced with this challenge if they have not already!

68% of all seniors in high school have tried alcohol. 22% of High Schoolers have ridden in a car with someone who has been drinking. When it comes to drugs, 44% of all high school students know of someone they can buy drugs from at school. Now is the time to talk to them about drugs and alcohol. Here are some tips to have an easier conversation with teenagers when it comes to drugs and alcohol.

RELATED ARTICLE:  Teenage Over the Counter Drug Abuse A Real Story

How to Treat the Opposite Sex

This is probably one of the most difficult conversations with teenagers you will have. Our teens live in a very hard world. A world where girls like to send pictures to the boys to get more attention. (I promise it’s not all the girls fault on this one.) Where boys and the media promote girls to look a certain way and act a certain way.

five teenagers hanging out in front of a chain link fence parking lot. Graffiti written on the wall behind the chain link fence.

Teach your boys to respect girls. Encourage them to treat them with love and decency. Teach your boys to speak kindly to and about girls. Sally’s body doesn’t need to be the topic of conversation in the locker room. Talk with them about how to handle the feelings they have in regards to girls. Share with them what is appropriate and not.

Teach your girls to respect the boys. Have conversations with your girls about how they act and dress encourages thoughts and emotions that they might not want boys to have. Talk with them about how to handle the feelings they have in regards to boys. Share with them what is appropriate and not.

RELATED ARTICLE:  Teenage Dating Guide for Parents

Social Media

A cell phone in hand with Instagram lit up on the screen.

Teach your teens that everything they do is a reflection on them. Teens make dumb choices sometimes and take risky pictures and send them to one person. The next thing you know, the whole school has seen that picture, and guess what? They can’t take it back!

Remind them if a naked picture of someone ends up on their phone, iPad, or the computer it is child pornography and not only will they be charged with this, but you will as well as a parent. This is a super scary and harsh reality!

Nothing is safe online! Everything will be held against them. Scare the poop out of them, and tell them if you ever find this on their electronics you will take them away forever and enforce all kinds of punishments! If they receive a naked picture of someone tell them to delete it immediately and block the number that sent it. Remind them to come to talk to you so you can help them in this situation.

One more thing about Social Media

Another talk with teenagers you need to have about social media is that not everything that they see on social media is true.  You need to remind your teenager that social media often portrays what the sender wants them to see.

Your teen doesn’t see what is outside of the frame.  Some that post on social media are trying to entice our teens, both girls, and boys, to do things they normally wouldn’t do. They prey on the insecurities of our teens, and want them to leave their homes for a “better life.” That life could be one of homelessness, substance abuse, and even sexual abuse.  This is another uncomfortable, but important talk with teens that you must have.

Sex

This is one of the most dreaded conversations with teenagers that all parents hate to have! But it is one of the most crucial. It is important to talk to your kids about sex. Your teens need to know what it is. This needs to be done gradually based on their maturity level. You don’t want to word vomit about sex to your teen that is not ready. On the other hand, you want to discuss with more mature teens what sex entails.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Talk to Your Child About Sex

I remember learning about what sex was on the track walking laps during my Freshman year of High School. My Mom had not had the chat with me yet probably because I was a pretty innocent girl. I was flabbergasted, to say the least. My innocence was gone… Speaking from someone who learned about sex this way, it is much better coming from a parent. So make the effort to talk to your kids about it.

Expectations When It Comes to Sex

In addition to talking about the physical act of sex, It is important to talk to your teen about your expectations when it comes to these types of relationships. Let them know your values on this subject. Help them create boundaries that fall within your family’s standards. We are old school, so expect that our kids will not have sex until they are married. Start praying now for our kids, okay? But on the other hand, we know they have free agency so we will help them be safe if they make a choice we don’t agree with.

Talk with your kids about abstinence, protecting themselves from diseases, and pregnancy. Be sure to make them aware of the consequences that could happen, including diseases and pregnancy. Explain that one night of “fun” could change their entire future.

Stand Firm

It is especially important for us to teach our children to stand firm in their decision to stay clean. Give them the resources and help to avoid peer pressure. Teach them to stand up for what they believe in when it comes to sexual relationships with others.  

RELATED ARTICLE:  How to Talk to Your Teen About Sex

The Future

A mom standing with her daughter who is in graduation cap and gown wearing paper money leis.

Lastly, have conversations with teenagers about their future. The future is bright! There is so much ahead of them! So, ask questions about what they want to do and what they want to become. Where do they want to go to college? Help them plan for these things. When teens have a vision of where they are going they are more likely to be successful long-term! The future is bright and we should help them embrace what lies ahead for them.  

Our teens need us more than ever! We need to have these hard conversations with teenagers for their benefit! Even though our teens might grudgingly want to talk with us, they want to. And they need us! So, with that being said, grab your teen and go have a conversation with them! You’ll be glad you did!

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12 thoughts on “7 Conversations With Teenagers Worth Having”

  1. I was literally crying while I read every word! You are so absolutely right about everything. I feel like as a mom of a teenager ( going to be a high school freshman in the fall) boy there are not a lot of groups or blogs that truly relate to what it means for us as parents to have teenagers and how to deal with not only the parenting aspect of our teens, but the fact that they are growing up and it’s not easy to see how the years are flying by. My mother used to say that with each new age there comes a new and beautiful chapter in their lives. I agree wholeheartedly but I am still so sad sometimes at how fast it is all flying by. Thank you so much for this post! I needed this so much more than you know and I know I will be coming back to it again and again.

    Reply
  2. Great post with good advice regarding parenting teenage kids. Thank you for writing the article in such bold words.

    Reply
  3. Great post with good constructive advice to parents of teens. It is vital to empower teens by discussing these issues with them. So when they are confronted with them they already have a foundation to tackle them appropriately. I think the two most important things a parent can do for any child is to make them confident about themselves and their views so they can cope with the scourge of bullying and peer pressure.

    Reply
    • Yes! You are so right! Helping them build that foundation and make the choices before they are in a predicament is vital to their success as a teenager.

      Reply

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