Part 1 - "Just get them through"

Rob's first session was about getting teenagers through their teenage years - just get them through. The whole seminar was aimed at parents, so remember that as I write! Most of my notes are based on key phrases he used, here are two:

• "When it comes to their own children, there are no experts" In other words, you as a parent know your own children and their needs better than any outsider.
• "Have confidence in your own parenting" Again, you know them best, their strengths, weaknesses etc.

He then went on to talk about 3 myths of teenage years

1. "This is just me". No, it's not, there are hundreds of other parents out there facing similar challenges to you.
2. "We got through our teenage years, why can't they?" Because the world has changed so much in such a short space of time! There is so much more pressure on teenagers now than there was in your day Mums and Dads!
3. "This is just them being difficult". No, it's them growing up. Teenagers, like the rest of us, are a work in progress. Rob pointed to some research that has discovered that teenagers have a spurt in brain growth and development around puberty that develops the part of the brain that "puts the brakes on" and helps us all realise that we need to think a bit more about the consequences of our actions. All of us are constantly learning about the world around us, and teenagers are, like the rest of us, capable of making mistakes.