How are you helping your teen as they transition to adulthood?
We’re Providing Our Teens with the Tools to Move from Passive to Active Decision-Making!
Change is inevitable. Young adults experience a great deal of change during the high school years and transition to college. They are trying to figure out who they are and where they fit in the world. You and I know it is just the beginning of the many decisions a person makes on their journey to adulthood. PATHworks™ comes in to help them move from passive living to active decision-making. But, what does that mean?
Passive living looks like: not taking control, no accountability, and low ownership of outcomes – allowing the natural course of action to take place instead of being proactive.
Active decision-making looks like: having an idea, seeking answers through communication and research, and taking action to see the idea move from thought to action. Allowing ownership of the process and its outcomes. That’s why our services and tools are geared to help young adults build the skills they need to be AdultReady™. Adulthood awaits!
As parents, we all want our children to succeed in life. We want them to be able to navigate the challenges that come with adulthood with ease and confidence. But how do we ensure that our teenagers are ready for the next stage of their lives?
We can support our teenagers with this transition by helping them develop the skills they need to be AdultReady™. This includes academic performance, future planning, conflict resolution, communication skills, self-care strategies, mindset, and relationship building. Here are some ways that parents can help their teens:
1. Encourage Active Decision-Making
Active Decision-Making starts with having an idea, seeking answers through communication and research, and taking action to see the idea move from thought to action. Active decisions allow for ownership of the process and the outcomes, which sets up the opportunity to learn from both success and failure.
Instead of making decisions for your teenager, encourage them to come up with their own solutions. Guide them through the decision-making process by asking questions, providing resources, and listening to their ideas.
One way to encourage active decision-making is to give your teenager opportunities to make decisions for themselves, even if it’s something as simple as choosing what to eat for dinner or which movie to watch. This allows them to practice decision-making skills in a low-stakes environment.
2. Foster Self-Awareness
Help your teenager identify their strengths and weaknesses. Encourage them to reflect on their experiences and learn from them.
Self-awareness is an important skill that can help your teenager make better decisions. By understanding their strengths and weaknesses, they can identify areas where they need to improve and focus their efforts on developing those skills.
3. Promote Goal-Setting
Teach your teenager how to set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) and help them create a plan to achieve those goals.
Goal-setting can help your teenager stay focused and motivated. By setting specific, measurable goals, they can track their progress and see the results of their efforts.
4. Provide Resources
Look for resources that can help your teenager develop the skills they need to be successful. This can include books, online courses, or workshops -have your teen check in with their guidance counselor to see what resources they are aware of. Also, ensure that your teen has access to the mentors they will need
5. Seek Support
Don’t be afraid to seek support from professionals who can help your teenager develop the skills they need. A great place to seek support is from fellow parents and grandparents. In fact, PATHworks created a Facebook Group, called EASII 21, for you to do just that. It is a dynamic community of Parents, Grandparents, and adults who share resources, lessons learned, and support on their journey of helping their teens complete school and launches into a successful life.
At PATHworks, we are committed to helping young adults become AdultReady™. Our coaching programs are designed to help teenagers build the skills they need to succeed in life. We also support parents, grandparents, and other adults who work on their behalf to work better together using our SYNERGYBUILDING process.
We understand that the transition into adulthood can be challenging, but with the right tools and support, your teenager can be successful. We know you want to be proactive in making sure your teen has what why need to be successful; many adults share that they would have loved to have an extra hand or someone to guide them throughout their career path.
Take our quiz to see if your teen where your teen is on the AdultReady™ scale or schedule a call with us today to learn more about our coaching programs and how we can help your teenager become AdultReady™.