A matter of trust
Guidelines and Advice Around Confiscating Your Teens Phone
“I pay for the phone. If my child doesn’t obey or does something disrespectful I have every right to take it away”. Simple, right? Actually, not so simple. Whether our teens are buried in homework, involved in crushing extra-curricular schedules or have difficulty making friends, their social time is often limited. If your teen already has limited social interaction taking away their phones removes a vital connection to their peers. The first question parents need to ask themselves is “what is my goal and what message does it send to my child?” Phone confiscating, especially for small infractions that would be better served by more “natural consequences”, may actually erode the parent/child relationship, particularly when it comes to trust. Click on the button below to read about the complexities of coming between your teen and their phone, keeping in mind that it’s not just a phone.
Why natural consequences matter
Natural consequences teach resilience, independence, and confidence
You hear that you should let your child face natural consequences, but what exactly does this mean? Many parents struggle with this concept because they don’t fully understand what constitutes a “natural” consequence. And sometimes parents have difficulty relinquishing control because they feel they always have to get their child to obey or they cannot tolerate the idea of their child failing.