Parenting isn’t easy. Any guide we could write about preparing your child for life is one that you’ve already been preparing for since the day of their birth. Just feeding them in the evening is, technically, preparing them for adult life, as it keeps them going for another day.
Yet of course, the general practicalities of what a late teenager needs compared to what a child needs, even if they do still eat us out of house and home. As confident as teenagers may appear, they can sometimes be quite worried and even unsure of how to structure their next steps in life.
For this reason, helping them assess what their next step might be can help them ease into a productive future – even if they change their mind or take a few different directions. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean showering them with cash to get started, as it’s rare that parents have the funds to do this – and anyway, it’s better that you’re present and support than anything else, which you already are.
In this post, we’ll discuss this topic in a little more detail:
Heading To University Open Days & Recruitment Days
Your child may not really know what they wish to do with their life next, and that’s pretty normal. The best thing to do, then, is help them see what opportunities may be out there, and to provide some of your support if they show initiative. It might be that they’re looking at a local university to attend after they complete their studies. That’s great. It could be, then that driving them to the open day, walking around the campus, and asking a few questions with them can help them understand what life might be like there. No doubt you will also be interested.
Little aids, such as driving them to the odd job interview, or taking them to a recruitment drive, or just looking over their resume before they submit it, these things can help without taking over the responsibility that they have for deciding their next step. They might just want to talk to you about what you think regarding a certain direction. Of course, there’s no need to limit your true feelings. If you’re not too keen on them joining the armed forces, for instance, you can tell them that. But you might also make a distinction between your approval and your support – they don’t necessarily have to be perfectly aligned. What matters is supporting your child and helping them provided they show initiative.
If your child already knows where they want to apply, you can consider more in-depth options to support them. For instance, a teen passionate about medical studies will appreciate receiving UCAT tutoring to prepare for the admission test. The UCAT is a computer-based test which assesses a range of mental abilities required by medical universities. The test results will be as important as their interview and A-level scores. Therefore, they could do with a little help to bring their dream career closer!
Helping Them Get Their Professional Standing In Order
Again, as confident as teenagers can present themselves to be, it’s true to say that a lot of day-to-day planning is new to them. For instance, if they’re not sure what kind of suit they should wear to a worthwhile job interview, or the practical layout of a resume, it might be worth lending some advice that helped you.
Perhaps they’re applying for a field you actually have some experience in, or just want to go over some pretend interview questions with you. It can be nice to learn that support.
Gaining Independence & Mobility
Teenagers are best aided when given the chance to drive and own a vehicle of their own. You don’t have to pay for their driving lessons or car for them, of course, but perhaps it can be nice to help them out with their car servicing, by giving them a little room on your driveway, or if they really achieve something worthwhile, with a nice celebratory investment like personalised plates.
When your child feels mobile, they feel independent, and helping them do that in order to fly from the nest with strength (even if it’s hard) can be a great use of your time.
Keeping Them Home A Little Longer
This is not feasible for every family, and so don’t take this as instruction. But due to the rising cost of living, the intensive demands of the property market, and rents skyrocketing, many families are deciding to allow their children to stay at home a little longer than usual should they become employed nearby, if only to help them save money so as to get a stronger start.
Of course, if this is an option you could offer, then charging a reasonable amount for room and board is important. From there, you can come to a worthwhile arrangement, and when the time is right, they may go.
With this advice, we hope you can help your late teen get the best start in life no matter what.
