Teenagers who love spring cleaning

There’s just something about April that makes you want to do some spring cleaning…

I’ve been taking walks and finding more space in my schedule this month, going a little lighter on social media, and giving my teenagers more ownership of their time and cleaning.

Spring Cleaning

If you’re feeling the itch to do some spring cleaning, you are not alone. But hang on… before you walk into your teen’s room, drop your duster and your hazmat suit to sit with me for just a sec.

Over in the Facebook group, we’ve been talking about teens taking ownership of their time, space, schoolwork, and schedule. And one of the most important areas that they should own is their bedroom. (Psst… I talked to a teen about owning her room here.)

It’s where they study, plan, chill, talk to friends, play games. (Now that they are teenagers, they probably do a little of everything in there.)

And when I say own, I mean that it should be their space to do with as they choose.They should take responsibility for the upkeep, the planning, the utility of those things – but within your guidelines and under your authority. (i.e. If your rule is that the room must be clean, it’s okay to enforce that rule by giving a consequence when it doesn’t happen.)

If you’re the kind of parent who is really “hands on” and gives frequent reminders, you might struggle with the idea of handing over the keys, so to speak. (PS. Your teen is WELL aware of what is expected of them. They have heard it- multiple times in a week or month! ) And if you’re a “hands off” parent, you might struggle with providing some type of structure or expectation for your teens.

Regardless, there are a ton of benefits that come with giving your teens more ownership:

Did you know teens get better sleep when they own their time during the day? Check out why here.
They become more independent and get their work done on their own, without reminders.
Their relationship with parents improves. Teenagers crave responsibility and independence. If they have your support and understanding with both of those things, they thrive. (Check out my blog post here.)

How do you feel about letting your teen have more ownership of their time, space, and schedule? Does it sound freeing, or does it make you cringe?

I promise when you loosen up on the reins a little (or buckle down and give some consequences), your house isn’t going to fall apart. Your teens need more ownership – because pretty soon it will be their dorm room, not their bedroom, and they won’t have you around to make things run smoothly for them. Let them figure it out now while they have a safety net just in case.

And if you need more support, I’m here for ya with:

ADHD Teen Rockstar Program – I work with your teen one-on-one to help them set goals, thrive in their schooling, and determine a clear path for their dreams. This is especially helpful right now through the end of the school-year as your high schoolers are struggling to get grades up before summer break. I have 3 spots left for April and May in my program- if your teen is failing and needs to get their grades above ground (I use this term all the time with my teens!) and is on the brink of taking summer school, we need to chat! Here’s my link to hop on a call! https://calendly.com/lovinggradditude/let-s-connect-zoom
Private coaching for parents – We all need extra support now and then. If you don’t like the way things are going in your household, let’s work together to improve it. Shoot me an email or drop me a private message to set up a connect call with me.
Free advice and community in the Facebook Group.

Catch you in the Facebook group!

Teenagers who love spring cleaning