It can be really difficult to be a parent, you find that when your child is younger you have more control over their lives and you can protect them more but when they become a teen this is no longer as possible. If you come over too heavy handed it can drive your child away further, so here are 7 tips on keeping your teen safe.
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Your teen needs to feel that they can approach you to talk about difficult matters, yes you may need to give them parental advice but it is also important that you listen to what they are saying. If your teen feels comfortable talking to you about anything, then you are going to be more likely to keep them safe because you too can talk to them about anything.
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It is important that you do not give your teen mixed signals, such as you do one thing but say another. For example, if you want your teen to drive safely make sure that you stick to this rule so that they can follow in your footsteps.
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Without being completely restrictive on their social life you may need to regulate their use of the internet or at least pass on advice. For example, advise them to set their social networking site to private, this will ensure that only their friends can view their details.
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A whistle or an alarm are really useful portable devices, in my opinion even when you are older you should still carry these around with you. The noise alone that is let off is likely to scare away any potential muggers and so on; if it does not immediately then it is likely to attract the attention of others.
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Buy your teen a mobile phones and when they are going out set regular check points. This is where they need to either text or phone you at certain times just so that you know that they are okay. If you do not here from them, say ten minutes after the time they were meant to phone then you contact them.
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This does not mean giving them the ninth degree every time that they go out but ask them where they are going and roughly what time. At least this way if you are unable to get hold of them or they miss their curfew, you know exactly where they are and you should be able to find them.
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You need to make sure that your teen is aware of drugs, alcohol, sex and so on, keeping them wrapped up completely in cotton wool can make things worse. The more aware they are the more you can prepare them and allow them to make their own decisions based on all the facts.
There you have 7 tips on keeping your teen safe, this is important to do without making them feel smothered at the same time. Often you may not make the right decision or your teen may not agree with your decision but if you have an open relationship then you should be able to discuss matters. Do you have any other tips?
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