What to do When You Don’t Like Your Teens Friends
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Parenting a teen can be tough, especially
when they start bringing new friends home. With all the different
friends your child is bound to make, it’s pretty likely you’re going to
dislike at least one of them. Here’s what to do to keep this small issue
from becoming a big problem.
The first thing you need to do is think about why you don’t like your
child’s friend. If it’s a matter of conflicting personalities, just
ignore it. You probably don’t like all your spouse’s friends either, but
your spouse is capable of choosing their own friends and so is your
teen. You’re not the one who has to be friends with them. As long as
your child is behaving and acting responsibly, let them keep the right
to choose who they hang out with. Who knows, you may grow to like them
once you get to know them better.
Don’t tell your child the things you don’t like about their friends.
Teens are stubborn; it’s unlikely they’re going to stop hanging out with
someone just because you dislike them. If your child really likes their
friend, you risk alienating them by expressing your negative opinions.
If you’re really concerned about their friend’s behaviors, try
encouraging positive behaviors in your teen before criticizing the
negative behaviors of their friends.
If your child’s friends begin to get in trouble, don’t automatically
take it out on your kid. Explain to your teen that you disapprove of
their friend’s behaviors and that you expect different things from them.
While you may want to keep your teen away from troublesome friends, it
may be better just to make special rules for dealing with that friend.
Make sure they’re supervised or check in more often. Try not to place
too many restrictions on your teen because of their friend’s behavior.
Your teen is getting older and learning to make their own decisions,
including who they hang out with. The best way to influence your teen’s
choices is to make sure you’re one of their friends too.
