Types of relationships teenagers need to handle

Relationship with self:  When a child reaches adolescence and goes through a lot of changes, there is a change in how they perceive themselves as well. Their relationship with self changes first in different areas like:

1.Identity: As the body goes through a lot of physical changes, teens learn to accept these changes. They learn to form their own identity. They want to be a different personality and for that, they take their own decisions. When teens struggle to adjust to the changes, then they have a problem in developing their identity.

2.Self-esteem: Self-esteem is how one perceives themselves. How they value themselves and what they think about their worth. When teens struggle to deal with changes, they develop low self-esteem. Teenagers are very conscious about how they look, how others treat them. all this builds self-esteem in kids. Self-esteem improves when they accept who they are and develop a better sense of self.

Friendships:

Friends are an important part of a teenager's life. They only want to ‘fit in’ with their peers. They even change their interests and desires so that they get acceptance from their friends. Their choices depend upon that of their peers. Friends play an important role in forming self-esteem, identity and shaping the behaviour of the child. Positive friendship provides support and companionship. They encourage building healthy relationships with others and promote good behaviour. They support and guide in achieving goals and build a positive attitude towards situations. They help in increasing confidence and you value and respect more. Benefits of positive friendships:

1. Better self-esteem
2. Lower rates of anxiety and stress
3. Optimistic outlook
4. Regulate emotions effectively
5. Improves thinking and reasoning capacity
6. Empathy towards others

Negative friendships always try to bring you down. Such friends are responsible for your bad behaviour. They indulge you in activities that are not good like bullying or substance abuse. They teach you how to not respect others treat others badly. Disrespecting, spreading rumors, lying, shaping negative behaviour is the role of negative friends.

Relationship with parents, caregivers and family

The relationship between parents and adolescents changes dramatically during teenage time. kids become more independent with their decisions and choices. With the increase in independence, there is an increase in the possibility of having conflicts and miscommunication. Children require emotional support from their families. Relationships with parents are a guiding tool for the child. Relationships with parents and family are the foundation on which other relationships are built. How well the child will behave with friends, in society, first comes from parents. Yes, there are arguments and conflicts between children and parents during adolescence because of differences in opinions, ego clashes, children want to take their decisions on their own without any interference. But if they both resolve conflicts and understand each other point of view, it builds healthy relationships. Parent-child relationships, caregivers, or guardians build self-esteem in the child. How a child feels about himself/herself. The supported child gets from the family, builds confidence. The child learns self-control, morals, and social values from the family first.

Relationships with parents and caregivers are like building blocks, as they work as an example of how an adolescent handles the other relationships.

Dating:

Getting attracted to someone, forming romantic relationships is another important part of the teenage time. Maintaining healthy romantic relationships helps adolescents develop healthy adult relationships. It helps to learn about other people, grow emotionally, and develop social skills. Dating around the mid-teens is common among teenagers. But they should know their limit and learn how to maintain that relationship. Nowadays, meeting someone on a dating app or online through social media like Facebook or Instagram is very common. Teens need to realize who they are coming in contact with and what are the real intentions of the person. Dating someone just for hooking up or any sexual activity is not a healthy relationship. Commitment, respect, love, understanding, that is a healthy relationship. Encouraging another person to be a better person is healthy.

Role of parents in teen dating:

As parents find it difficult or feel awkward talking about dating with teenagers. They should understand that:


1.Teen dating is normal:
It is important to understand that having a romantic interest is normal and healthy during the teenage time. when children enter high school and college, they eventually become interested in dating. Some children are vocal about their interests, some do not want to talk about it publicly.  Once teens start dating they understand what are their expectations from their partner and how to have a caring and supporting dialogue with their partner.


2.It builds relationship skills:
When adolescents start dating, they learn new things about relationship building. How to express themselves, take a risk of getting rejected, try to figure out how to maintain the relationship, and learn what exactly dating means.  They learn to communicate, push their boundaries, learn to take other partners' points of view, learn how to adjust to different needs. They learn these life skills. They make mistakes, but also learn from their experiences.


3.Talk and guide about dating with teens:
It is important to talk about what dating is, what to expect, how to value each other, peer pressure. It is necessary to build rapport with your teens so that they can come and talk about their feelings with you.  Also, it is important to guide young adolescents about heartbreaks or not sending nude pictures, or not accepting and doing any bad behaviour with your partner. Talking about healthy aspects and how to deal with negatives is important.

How to maintain healthy relationships?

1. Be honest and communicate:
In a relationship, it is important, to be honest about your feelings and thoughts. It is good to communicate with each other, rather than going to friends and talking about it.


2. Keep social media off your relationship:
Since social media is a very big part of our lives, we want to discuss and share every situation that we are facing with others. It is okay to post some cute pictures of the couple, but taking your personal problems and saying disrespectful things to each other on social media is not correct.


3. Respect:
It is important to respect your partner. Respecting them as a person, respecting their family, respecting their point of view, respecting their choices. Two people are different in some manner, but respecting that difference is important.


4. Show commitment:
Coming into a relationship for some time and then we will break up because we do not have a future, this attitude is not right. Showing commitment, not playing with other person feelings and emotions is what teenagers need to learn. It is not that teenagers should jump into marriage decisions but be with someone who you know that this person is there with you for a long time.