Parents do what they feel is best for their kids, but sometimes, they inadvertently do things that may hurt kids or make them question their parents’ love for them. As a parent, you obviously don’t want your kids doubting your love for them or distancing themselves from you. To avoid landing in such a situation and become a better parent, here are few common parenting mistakes that you need to stop making.

Not Giving Teens Space and Privacy

One of the mistake parents are often guilty of committing is not giving teens the space and privacy they want. To you, they might still be little kids that used to share everything with you, but the truth is that they’ve grown up and things are unlikely to stay the same. This is the fact you must understand as soon as possible. Just like us adults, kids need space. They respect and love you, but they wouldn’t want you interfering in their lives too much. There are a few things they do not want to share with you just because they do not feel comfortable sharing them, and this should be okay with you. Avoid pressing them to share every little detail of their life as it will only irritate them and push them further.

Getting Worried on Little Things while Missing the Big Stuff

Parents tend to get worried about the strange haircut of teens, or the way they dress, neglecting bigger issues like their mental health, changing behavior, etc. They keep on yelling at teens for listening to loud music or driving rashly, but they hardly pay attention to why their kids may be behaving this way. They don’t really think about the kind of pressures teens constantly feel, and the support they desperately crave.

Not Showing Trust in Teens

No matter how old our kids become, there is always a fear in parents’ heart that they are still not mature or ready for responsibility. This becomes evident when they hesitate to give their own car to their teen, ask hundreds of questions when they want extra money, call their teachers to confirm their grades in the quiz, sneak into their mobiles and rooms whenever they get a chance. All these things point out to one thing: lack of trust. You must trust them. They might break your trust once in a while, but eventually they’ll hate to see you disappointed and make an extra effort to live up to your trust.

Being Too Strict or Too Lenient

Some parents are so strict that teens are even reluctant to share their basic needs and wants with them, while others are so lenient that they end up saying yes to every request. Both these approaches are wrong and need to be changed. You need to stand somewhere in the middle and say yes or no on merit. Your child needs to understand the importance or discipline and responsible behavior, while never doubting your availability and readiness to offer help in all kinds of situations.

Doing Helicopter Parenting

So apart from your full-time job, you have taken this extra responsibility of keeping an eye on kid 24/7 just to make sure he is safe. Of course it is just you trying to be protective of them, but teens would hardly see it that way. To them, helicopter parenting is a nuisance. It’s like tying their hands, and then asking them to play football. They want to feel free and grown up. They want you to show some faith in their ability to look after themselves, to some extent at least. They want you to stop worrying and clingy. Listen to what they are saying. Take a few steps back and give them some breathing space. Don’t worry, they’ll be just fine. Nobody is asking you to stop looking over them. Just try to do it from a distance.