Teenagers are wonderful and awkward and frustrating and amazing. They are impatient, emotional and kind. Still just as in need of us parents as ever before but in ways we couldn’t have prepared for.

They no longer hang on our every word or think us super heroes. They need more sleep, more space and less of our explanations. They need more understanding, more listening and less judgement. They need more reassurance, more encouragement and more belief in their abilities. They need to know we are right behind them and that we’re not going away no matter how exasperated we are or challenging they get.

Unschooling teens looks different. Gone are the days when they want to join in every single craft. They don’t pick up after themselves quite the way they used to do or offer up suggestions and ideas born of the wild imagination of a 10 year old. They suddenly tire of the same favourite stories they once begged you to tell a hundred times. They aren’t around the table with you as much as before or on the sofa watching films with their siblings.

But they’re still there and they still want to be wanted.
Their days look more like expressing themselves in new ways.
Later starts.
Getting ready and trying new styles.
Languages.
Music and instruments.
New films & shows.
Talking on the phone.
11pm impromptu talks.
Art and creative writing.
Science and discovery.
History, what was before and where they are heading to.
Opinions on the world. The past, the present, the future.
Important questions and conversations – sporadically approached when you least expect it.
Cooking.
Money making.
Memory making.
Family time is still special and important. Exploring their sense of self and belonging.

© 2024 Juliette Proffitt ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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