Is Your Teen Grounded?

We hear a lot about grounding our teens. They could be grounded from their phones, from their friends, from social media, from staying out late. It’s a very popular way of disciplining our teens. The next time you ground your teen for something they do, it’s a good time to ask yourself another question, posed by Dr. Kevin Leman in his book, Have a New Teenager by Friday.

“Is my teen grounded in who they are?”

While it is important to teach our teens consequences for their actions (there is nothing wrong with “grounding” them from things), it’s important that we remember that isn’t not always about the actions. The inside matters as much as the outside. If they are cooperating but not internalizing, what will happen when they leave our homes?

A grounded teen is one who knows who they are. They are confident in their choices. They know what they believe and they follow those beliefs, even when you aren’t looking. They have integrity, personal responsibility, and respect for themselves and others.

The next time you ground your teen for something, stop for a minute and make sure that the consequence is teaching your teen what you want them to learn. If you are doing it to control your teen, it might work for awhile but eventually they will do what they want. If you are doing it to help your teen learn to be “grounded” and it’s teaching them important things, go for it!