A working mom struggles with a variety of feelings, especially if they’ve gone from a stay-at-home mom to a working mom. You might feel mom guilt as well as excitement to have this new opportunity to advance your career. The struggle of balancing mom time and working mom hours is difficult.
While it’s true that balancing your parenting life with your working mom status may be difficult, it’s not impossible! Today we’re sharing some tips for working moms to connect with their teens. These tips will help you find creative ways to connect with your teen in between work hours.
Open Your Home
Teens are more interested in their friendships than connecting with their parents. That’s why you need to be the working mom that opens the door to friends. Make your home a safe space for your teen to invite friends over. Of course, you’ll need to set rules and boundaries with this concept, but by allowing your teen to have more friends over, you’re showing them that their needs are just as important as your working mom needs.
Say I Love You
Your teen is going to act like they don’t want your love and affection, but they still need their mom or dad to show them affection. When you’re home from work tell your teen that you love them. Perhaps grab your teen for a big hug as they run from the door to their bedroom. Figure out how your teen receives love and start showing that love and affection through words or physical actions, like hugging.
Eat Together
Whether it’s a household rule to eat one meal a day together or you simply want to do a random dinner date with your teen, eating together is a wonderful way for working moms to connect with their teen. You both need to pause for food throughout the day, so why not make eating together one of the simple ways to connect. Eating will distract your teen and allow them to share random information about their life with you without relaxing that they’re opening up and connecting.
Follow Their Lead
Pay attention to what your teen is interested in right now. These interests might change as fast as the weather does, but be in tune with what your teen is interested in right now. Perhaps your teen is reading a book and they just can’t stop talking about it. Read the book that they’re reading so you can bring more to the conversation when they talk about this book. If your teen likes video games, let them show you how to play the video game.
Create Traditions
Family traditions can happen all year round! Working moms often focus on holiday traditions with their teens, but you can make new creative traditions with your teen. Try to find a national holiday, like national pickle day, or something that will interest your teen. Make it a new tradition that you celebrate a unique holiday together. This is a great way to get silly and have some fun with your teen, so there’s no pressure to talk or engage with each other outside of the particular holiday you’re celebrating.
With the right approach and our tips for working moms to connect with their teens, you’ll find that your relationship is strengthened. Having a strong bond with your teen will help them withstand peer pressure and learn to be confident with their personal choices as they start to navigate the world without you holding their hand.
