| Comment | Engaging with your kid, talking to them, having dinner together, doing things together as a family - doesn’t need to cost money - could be just going for a walk or visiting a free admission museum, encouraging empathy, discussing current affairs with then, discussing popular culture with them, finding common ground like a hobby that you can share, talking to them about and encouraging their own interests. As a parent you can join the PTA, community action groups, volunteer and set up clubs for children/teens to keep them off the streets causing trouble. In my own experience as a former teenager and a current parent of a 20 something, doing things as a family, and getting your child involved in a hobby has proved to provide a path away from negative behaviour.
If your child does take part in negative destructive behaviour, violence is not the answer. Talk to your child and ask them why those behaviours have happened. Is it boredom? Are they angry? Are they sad? Is it peer pressure? Most kids are bored and find a sense of community within the group of friends they are engaging in these behaviours with, because they don’t have that bond elsewhere. |
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