Relate calls for more support for the parents of teenagers

Relate has been calling for more parenting policies and services to consider teenagers, stating that the parents of teenagers who are most confident in their parenting skills are those who spend time with their teens, and know what is going on in their lives.

A new report just released shows that 9 out of 10 parents of teenagers were very or fairly confident in their parenting skills – but what about the 1 in 10 who don’t feel that way? The report revealed that those 1 in 10 were the parents who felt they didn’t spend enough time with their teenagers, didn’t know what was happening in their lives, and struggled to relate to their group of friends.

Relate now offers a free service for parents who are worried about their teenagers getting into trouble. This aims to help parents understand their teenagers better and find ways to improve the parent-child relationship. They are also calling on national and  local governments to do more for the parents of teenagers, from changing policies to include all ages of children from babies to teenagers, to offering more support services and health workers for parents of older children.

With 75 years of experience under its belt, Relate certainly know what they are talking about, and supporting the parents of teenagers can only be a good thing. Let’s face it, parenting is not an easy job, no matter how old your children are, and I am sure most of us can remember how difficult it can be when you are a teenager who feels like no-one understands.

Do you think there is enough support out there for parents of teenagers? What would you like to see introduced?