3 Ways to Connect with Your Teen During the Holidays
The holidays are coming up fast and often we feel so overwhelmed with all the things we have to do such as make a shopping list, cook the big meals, clean the house extra thoroughly, arrange for transportation for family visitors, buy gifts, so many things to do that we sometimes forget that the holidays are mostly to celebrate being with family, to have quality time with your loved ones, especially your teens.
Ask them what would make the holiday special for them? You may make suggestions like doing something creative together: baking a special dish, watching a cooking class on YouTube and trying it; putting together a photo collage of family and presenting it to other family members, working with your teen to create a surprise.
Identify their passions with regard to the bigger social picture so you can devise a way to give back- to the poor, to the disenfranchised, to a rescue center for pets if they love animals, to raising money for a political cause that your child is passionate about. Brainstorm with them what they would like to do and let them take the lead as you assist them in reaching out to the world around them.
Be the family historian and if your teen has any interest in family, ask them to create an interview to learn more about your life, their grandparents’ lives, stories from the past, such as how, for example, a grandparent came to this country and what they had to do to get here. What life was like during a significant period in history, etc.
Just remember, more important than having the table set just so, the house cleaned, and the decorations set up, the quality time you spend with your teen will be the most important holiday memory they will hold!