Just yesterday, I wrote about the problems associated with over-protective parenting. And so today I will follow up that article with this one which discusses the importance of letting teenagers handle their challenges by themselves every once in a while. You see, inasmuch as pampering is good, it can indeed become counterproductive when abused. Therefore, parents should pamper their teenagers, but at the same time know when to stop the pampering and allow their children grow up and handle their challenges. There are many benefits to this as you shall see shortly.
Letting teenagers handle their challenges and their pain every now and then will better prepare them for the challenges that come with adulthood. They need to realize that life is not a bed of roses. There will be challenges of course and one’s parents will not always be there to sort out their challenges for them. Now one of the best ways anyone can become used to solving their problems in life is if they learn right early in life how to do so.
Teens must learn to be able to handle their difficulties on their own as that is one of the basic requirements for independence. The ability to handle challenges requires the ability to think decisively to come with solutions and taking steps towards implementing such solutions. The ability to do that makes one mature and ripe enough for independence. Teens should therefore be allowed to sort out their problems now and then as it prepares them for that very moment when they will finally be mature, independent and expected to solve their own problems by themselves.
Parents should also realize that no teenager is entitled to a life that is free from pain and difficulties. Thinking that your teens will never face challenges in life is not only a very erroneous way to think, but also bad for them as it will mean that they are hardly prepared for the challenges that life will most certainly throw their way. As it has been pointed out above, life is no bed of roses. It is indeed difficult. The only thing that makes it easy is the ability to solve the problems that are associated with living. Therefore, parents must let their children learn to do that early.
Now, it is important to note that after all said and done, teens are still children and therefore not quite capable to handle most of the problems that will come to do. That noted, it is imperative to be mindful of the fact that there are only certain problems they can be able to handle. Therefore, they should not be required to start solving all of their problems; becoming responsible for themselves at early stages in life. Instead, they should only be allowed to solve those little challenges their resources and levels of mental/physical capacities can allow.
