NANA SAYS RAISING TEENAGERS CAN BE DIFFICULT

Being around modern teenagers is a reminder of the days I was a teenager and raising my own teenagers. Lessons, activities and homework have always been around!!  Oh yes there are gadgets, Skype, concern about cyber bullying and the constant use of cell phones, I-pods, tablets and computers but putting them aside hormones and feelings have not changed. My grandfather and father's generations went to war. Young children had jobs or part-time jobs too. Are today's youth smarter? I think not. They are exposed to more ways to gather information. But more apps on a gadget does not necessarily give more information. I have lots of apps on my gadgets and well some is useless junk! Just like junk flyers. As a parent, setting boundaries is your responsibility. All the pressures that teenagers face, your home becomes the safe haven from the world.  The gadgets can be turned off during dinner for example. But if you are a family like one witnessed eating at a restaurant recently with everyone checking their phones and no one really talking to each other as a parent you are setting an example of preference for your gadget then the people present including your own children. In other generations, no phone calls during dinner was a family rule in my home. Your friends knew not to call during the dinner hour. Teachers have a right to say turn off the gadgets during class. No texting, tweeting etc. I know I insist during a talk I give to new nurses to turn off the cell phones!! Of course I am met with looks of disdain! I don't care, I think it is rude behaviour. Well teaching and setting an example that some behaviour is rude is okay.  So do parents have an obligation to teach manners, you bet. Encouraging children to use all mediums such as reading a book, using a dictionary along with the infamous spell check, talking face to face not just through a gadget, doing math in your head without a calculator, handwriting and well listening to the sounds in your environment when walking are life's lessons. Well teenagers are argumentative. It has not changed. The yes but this and the yes but that. If the answer is no, then say no-there is no discussion. Basically, " I am the parent and you are the child!" Whether modern parents buy it, your teenager does want you to give boundaries-it keeps them safe. It lets them know there are rules. Yes the teenager must protest, it is what teenagers do. Yes you will be met, you are stupid, you do not understand me, another parent is better etc. It is what teenagers do.  I had a rule with my girls. To talk me about anything. Let me decide as the adult if the idea needed to go further. Let me as the adult give you safe guidance. I told my children to let me know if any friends were suicidal and putting themselves at risk. I told them it was better to lose a friendship then live with someone dying! Hormones run amuck! But hormones have not changed. Interest and curiosity with drugs, alcohol, smoking  and yes sex has not changed. There were times that teenagers of all generations like to drag race. Well it has not changed. Look at the odd teenage accident. I had school mates that died from such occurrences. The parent of the modern teenager just has to look at history. It was Socrates in Ancient Greece that said-what has become of the youth of today! And there were no gadgets!