Teenagers have a natural drive towards risky behaviors, as the chemicals in their brains are going a little wonky during these years of development. The key as a parent of a risk-seeking teenager is to learn how to enrich your teenager’s desire while still remaining safe.
Your teen adrenaline junkie doesn’t have to be the “problem” child. Try enlightening yourself a bit to ease your worries, and learn how to channel your teenager’s risk-seeking behaviors towards more safe and constructive outcomes.
Understanding the why behind risk-taking
Your teen lives in a different reality than you do. Their brains are not yet fully developed. The human brain, in fact, isn’t thought to be fully developed until the age of 25-30. Teens also find themselves testing the limits of their boundaries.
Teenagers are busy getting to know what really makes them an individual, and risk-taking is a natural part of the experiment. Dig into the chemical reactions in a budding mind to really begin to understand the nature of your little adrenaline junkie.
Give them a controlled outlet for their energy
It’s not a bad thing to provide an outlet for your teen’s risk-seeking behaviors. If your kid loves motorsports, provide the necessary safety equipment, a safe place to ride, and the best motorsports vehicle money can buy.
You can also let them try adventure sports to help them channel extra energy properly while gaining new experiences. For instance, if you live in a coastal city, you can take them for scuba diving or snorkeling by exploring the best Molokini snorkeling tours (or for other locations). Hiking or camping could be another option to get them involved in physical activities. When opting for any of these pursuits, emphasize the importance of safety and protective gear.
Discuss a few things with your teen
As a parent, you aren’t going to be the “coolest” person around, but you can still connect with your children on a real level. Help your teen learn to assess risk on their own, so you don’t feel as though you have to be around all the time.
Work out some safety ground rules with your teen, and set some imminent consequences for breaking the rules. Also, keep the lines of communication open with your teen, so they always feel comfortable discussing their thoughts.
Make sure to equip them for safety
You can’t expect your kid to stay safe with no safety equipment. If your kid is a surfer, get them the best surf gear. If they enjoy skating, make sure you get a highly rated helmet and pads for your skater. You get the point.
Always provide your teen a way out
Peer pressure is the bane of the teenage existence. You are there to give your child a way out of the tough situations. Make certain that you kid can depend on you to bail them out of any sketchy situation at any time without painful consequences.
