It's serious! When you play scrabble with your kids, not only do they learn vocabulary, but something so much more important. Family time.
How much time do you share with your kid, beyond discipline and just being there?
Personify the game. Compliment your kids for making really good words. When you can't find a good word, exaggerate how dumb you are... because the kids know you are not... but they think it is fun... and they learn MOM and DAD are people. That MOM and DAD are fun people. Now they love you and respect you look for you for guidence... because, teens know you are imperfect. Pretending you are isults them. But, showing you are you, coupled devotion to them creates a teen parent trust. Now, they can talk to you about how they feel...
This brings down tension between the gap between a child and an adult, especially a teen and an adult. Just little things can make trust. Teens can be so afraid to talk to adults about there problems becasue they believe you will not understand and just lecture them... yet, fun times when you are both equal... like a game of scabble shows the kids I can come to you.
Now, the trick is, when they come, what kind of parent will you be.? The I am on your level so I will listen very carefully... and help the teen by showing something youy had in your life as you were a teen, even if you made a mistake? You ,ight not want to admit the mistake... because you might feel they will automatically do that mistake.
But, what they are looking for is something they already know. You weren't perfect. Being honest. Being there no matter what happens. Letting them spread the wings and try to fly in an adult world, means excepting when they fall. They fall, you pick them up.
The number one rule? You will always be there because of your unshakable love. Because you are not perfect, and they are not, they have an added incentive to trust your judgement becasue you will see them as a teen...
Scabble helps kids learn vocabulary. With teens, it means a time when parents and smart, but sensative teens can get together and have fun. When there is fun, teens tend to ask you stuff because they trust you because you were nice. As an adult you listen to them, summerize to let them know you are listing to them, give them insite (from your own experience as a teen,) and show them the most important thing of all... that you will be there to pick them up no matter what happens in there life. This gives them incentive to be the best they can be for you... your ultimate teacher.
Sorry preaching... teen and parent areas are a very important subject to me. I can't help it Sorry
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