3 Ways to Identify If Your Teen Is Happy
We all know that teenage years can be some of the hardest for any individual. You are almost constantly changing physically, mentally, and emotionally and frankly, it’s a lot to handle. From a parent’s point of view, it’s a tough journey of balancing both understanding and discipline. You want your child to be happy and you want them to begin to make good life choices. Along with that realization comes knowing what factors will come into play that will affect both your teen’s happiness and their decision making. We’ve come up with ways to identify if your teen is truly looking on the bright side of things.
Attitude is Everything
Teens are just like adults in the sense that they are trying to navigate the world around them. Life’s frustrating annoyances affect them just like they affect us, except the difference is we are more equipped to handle them. Take shopping for Homecoming dresses for instance. If your teen is excited about the thought of the Homecoming dress, but gets annoyed and frustrated with the process of finding the dress, a bad attitude may ensue. This doesn’t mean your teen is unhappy. In fact, the moment they do find the dress will prove just how happy they actually are. Looking at a teens attitude to gauge their happiness means knowing how they feel about their life in general, not just one small aspect of it. So if they seem to have an off day, but most days they’re smiling and engaging in things, that’s usually a good sign.
Friends Make a Big Difference
Great friends make us happy. They make us laugh and smile. They’re there for us and they care. For some teens, making friends is scary and not an easy thing to do. They feel like they’re awkward or just don’t know how to talk to people. It’s great to encourage your teen to engage in activities that they like to do with others that have the same interests. If your teen loves comics and Anime characters, why not take them to Comic-Con or another character-themed event? Or simply encourage them to be themselves. People (young and older alike) are attracted to confidence, so the more your teen is accepting of who they are, the more they’ll attract the people that will recognize similarities or accept their differences. If your teen has good supportive friends surrounding them, this is a good sign that they have happiness in their life.
They Have a Positive Outlook On Things
As great as it is to recognize the traits of a happy teenager, there are things to look for in one who is struggling with being unhappy. During the ages of 13 – 17, we go through many different changes that can sometimes alter even our personalities, if dealing with possible mental health issues. Luckily in most cities, there is a residential treatment center for teen and young-adult aged individuals who struggle with cognitive development. If your teen seems to be displaying behavioral problems or having a hard time dealing with the pressures of certain normal responsibilities, then as a parent, it’s important to recognize this. The sooner you can get your child the assistance they may need, the sooner they can move on to living a healthier lifestyle.
If you recognize that your child takes on an optimistic and hopeful way of looking at obstacles in life, this is a positive sign that they are in a good place mentally.
The best way to approach making sure your child is happy is the same way you look at your own happiness. If your teen’s needs are being met, their wants and goals are being considered, they have people around them that love and accept them for they are and support them wholeheartedly, and they seem excited about their future, there’s a great chance they are truly happy.
