Things That Teens Believe About Relationships

When it comes to friendships many teenage kids are laboring under some big misconceptions. It is up to you as a parent to watch out for some of them and correct them so that they do not become chronic life-long beliefs that limit their options in life or ability to relate to others.

Perhaps the biggest and stupidest myth that teenagers subscribe to is that girls and boys can't be friends. Make sure your teen knows that the longest-term and most successful relationships come from men and women who are friends first. Stress that it is important to have a relationship with someone who likes and respects you before you get intimate and physical. Warn them about how easy it is to pretend that someone you are attracted to is actually your best friend.

Another thing that a teen that does not date is not cool. This is ridiculous as many teens do not date because they are concentrating on school, extra-curricular clubs or community interests. Many also do not date because of family or religious beliefs. Explain how it is important to develop your own character as well as relationships with others.

Unfortunately many teens also believe that a girl that has a lot of friends that are boys is a slut. This is the kind of profiling of young females that can be very damaging. If your child is partaking in the kind of gossip that brands a young woman as a slut then you need to correct his trend just in the name of being a good feminist.

Another thing that girls in particular believe is that if they are taken out on a date and a boy spends a lot of money on them then they have to put out. You need to tell your boys and your girls that money does not equal sexual favors. No one should be pressured or intimidated into giving sex to someone else. This is also why it is a good idea to convince your teens to do inexpensive or free things with the opposite sex like take a bike ride or got a movie matinee. This very wide-spread belief is also why you should always make sure that your teenage girl has enough money to get home, pay her own way or do what it takes to get out of situations where someone may be offering to pay her way in return for sex.

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Why You Need to Give Your Kid an Allowance

Never just give your kid money. Give them an allowance! This is the primary way that they learn to manage money when they are young. There are no money shows for kids on television and commercials lead them to believe they can just spend, spend and spend!

Furthermore kids are now encouraged to spend money at a younger age than ever. It is easy for them to develop delusions about where money comes from and how it should be handled.

In fact most parents don’t realize that their kid does not know a thing about money until they become adults and need a loan. If you do not want to start supporting an older kid that has flown the nest but is in debt then you need to teach them good financial habits when they are young.

An allowance works because they can make mistakes using a minimal income. Knowing the limit of available funds forces kids to think about how much tings cost and to make wise choices between the things that they may. They also may have more appreciation and respect for the things they buy if they know they cannot be replaced.

You should give your child an allowance as soon as they show both an interest and an understanding about the concept of money and the fact it can be exchanged for goods. Most people say that you should give them a dollar for each year of age and that you should give them this once a week. However some other money experts say it is a good idea to check with other parents in the neighborhood to see what they give their kids as an allowance.

You might also want to sit down with your child and make a list of what they are expected to pay for with the allowance. This solves the conflicts that come up in stores and as they go out for friends for snacks or to the movies.

Keep in mind that when kids do use money they use it in three ways – spending, saving and sharing. Consider this when you are coming up with the amount needed to give them money.

If you want you can also tie their allowances to chores. However some people that you should not do this as this means they will be expected to be rewarded for things they should just do anyway like make their beds. It is a better idea to punish them if they do not do chores rather then pay them for doing normal housework or duties associated with regular self-care.

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