When your children are babies you are their one and only. Their mission is to do everything you do and be around you 24/7. As your children grow and enter the teen years, it’s more difficult to connect or so it seems. Teenagers have that push to be independent while still wanting to be a part of your life.
It’s on you to figure out that fine line between allowing them the space to make some mistakes while still being the parental figure. You’ll need to continue lending advice, being their guardian, and encouraging them to try new things all the while stepping back while they go out into the world on their own.
Your teen may have a job or other responsibilities, such as being a newly licensed driver. These are all scary things for a parent, but when you take the time to bond with your teen son, you’ll soon find that this quality time together enhances their ability to make better decisions during their teenage years and beyond.
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Eat Dinner Together
Teen boys typically enjoy food and they eat it regularly. Their every-expanding bodies and minds need that fuel to survive the world of education and work. That’s why setting a date each week to enjoy dinner together with your teen son will be the perfect bonding moment. Plan a date night each week or simply require that your teen son sit to eat dinner with the family at least 1-2 times every week.
This will provide you with ample time to engage in conversations over a delicious meal. Having dinner together removes the pressure to discuss anything in particular, and frees you both up to chat about anything you desire.
Attend a Concert
We can only assume that one day outside concerts will come back to our world, so why not plan to attend a concert this summer. Find out what concerts your teen boy wants to attend and make a date to go together. If your teen son wants to bring their friend along, consider allowing that. This bonding moment with your teen son doesn’t have to be just you and him. Sharing this with his friend will only strengthen the way he connects with you.
When you opt to attend a concert for a band that your teen son loves plus let him bring along a friend, you’re showing him that his interests are important to you.
Prepare Meals Together
If your teen son loves cooking or baking, then why not spend some quality time together in the kitchen? Try to schedule a time each week where your teen son helps you prepare a meal together. Maybe you can have one night a week be his night to cook dinner, and you simply hang out in the kitchen while he’s preparing it.
Spending quality time doing something that your teen son loves to do will help reconnect that bond that gets stressed during the teen years.
These are just a few fun ways to bond with your teen son. At the end of the day, you’ll know which activities work for your teenager. Pay close attention to what your teen son enjoys doing and simply try to be a part of some of his everyday interests so that he feels valuable and an appreciated part of the family unit.