How to Give Your Teen a Head Start on Live
How to Give Your Teen a Head Start on Live
Here are some quick ways to get your teen a leg up entering the adult world.
Written by Liz Bayardelle, PhD | See Comments | Updated 10/02/2021
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How to Give Your Teen a Head Start on Live
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What are some ways you can help your teen get a head start in life? The answer is simple, yet not always easy to put into practice.
First, you can ensure that your child starts their adult life in the best possible way by giving them sustainable presents for Christmas. Another thing you can do is sign them up for financial lessons so that they learn about things like how to manage money and make wise decisions about credit card usage. Finally, encourage volunteering during summer breaks and allow for more work done.
Gift Them Useful Presents
Giving your suitable teen presents like stocks, room/dorm organizers, or other things they can actually use in their adult life is a great way to help them get ahead. (You don't need ot go running to the Bentley Dealerships to be mom of the year.) In addition, you can provide your teen gifts that will be useful for their future, such as money toward a car or college fees.
You could also sign your teen up for financial lessons and encourage volunteering during summer breaks. Additionally, you can offer an allowance in exchange for additional work done around the house. Presents are great, but you want to give them something that will help them in the future and not just be a one-time gift.
Sign Them Up for Financial Lessons
Since money touches everything, signing your teens for financial lessons is a fantastic way for them to get a head start in life.
Benefits of signing your teen for financial lessons include learning about credit, interest rates, and loans. You understand the value of money, so make sure your teen knows how to make sound financial decisions as an adult.
Encourage Volunteering During Summer Breaks
Volunteering is an excellent way for teens to get a head start in life. (Even with small kids you can start them with volunteering or a customize learning service.) Try encouraging them to use a few hours of their summer breaks as opportunities to give back.
Volunteering also provides teens with the opportunity to develop social skills and gain more life experience. In addition, kids who volunteer are more likely to have higher grades in school, stay out of trouble with the law, and be healthier.
Offer Allowance for More Work Done
Allowance refers to the money a teen is given for doing household chores around their home. If a teen does more work, they can receive higher assistance. If you want to teach your teens about budgeting and saving, this may be something you should offer them as an incentive.
Offering an allowance for completing extra tasks teaches responsibility because it allows teens to see consequences for not working hard enough or long enough. For example, if they don't do any of their laundry during the week, then perhaps no allowance will be offered until those clothes have been washed by themselves.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you are looking for ways to help your teen get a head start in life, many things can be done. Allowance is an excellent way to teach responsibility because it encourages them to work harder when they see the reward in front of them. Offer incentives like college funds and higher allowances when your teen's responsibilities increase or offer time off instead if they don't want money for what they have accomplished.
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About the Author
Liz Bayardelle, PhD
Founder | Contributor
Liz (or Dr. Mommy, as her toddler started calling her after learning what a PhD was) is the happily sleep-deprived mom of a toddler (and professional raccoon noise impersonator), a sparkle-clad kidnado, a teenage stepdaughter, 200 cumulative pounds of dog, and herd of dustbunnies (if daily vacuuming doesn't occur). During nights and naptimes, she uses her PhD in business psychology as an author, speaker, and consultant. She also serves as an executive and principal for three companies, two of which she co-founded with her very patient (and equally exhausted) husband.