Can parenting articles help when you have problems with your teen? I handpicked 5 awesome parenting blogs that you have to read and follow if you’re raising teenagers.

There can be no doubt that parenting teenagers is really hard. There are constant conflicts and bad attitude which turn your home into a battlefield. But don’t despair, these are awesome parenting blogs which are loaded with helpful parenting tips.

I know you’ve often thought, ‘ I can’t wait for him to go to college.’  End of stress and peace and quiet will reign at last. Until you realize that you have 3 more teenagers to raise.

But you’ve now reached a point where you need to learn a few parenting skills to effectively tackle all the drama that comes with  teenagers.

Imagine how wonderful it would be to be able to cut your teen’s mouthiness with just a simple statement.

Think of the joy you would get of having your teen do his chores daily without being nagged to do them.

How good it would be to have a happy rather than a surly teen at the dinner table every day.

Well, don’t fear,  I have just the resources you need to turn this stalemate with your teen to a win-win for the two of you.

Ever heard the saying ‘ when you know better, you do better’? Get the tactics you need to stop all your parenting fails once and for all.

Here is a list of 5 awesome parenting blogs you can turn to for help and guidance on any issue dealing with teenagers.

I selected these blogs because articles are short, not loaded with boring references to scientific jargon that make you click away to another site. They are also power-packed with valuable takeaways for parents and teenagers alike.

Articles often deal with common teen issues but from a unique angle that challenges you to break free of stereotypical thinking and literally compels you to evaluate your stance on them.

1. YOUR TEENMAG.COM

New bloggers are often advised to write content that gets your audience to feel as if you’re addressing an immediate concern of theirs.

Well, let me tell you that this site definitely fulfills that promise.

Yourteenmag.com was started by two friends, Stephanie Silverman, and Susan Borison. They were in need of info to help raise their own teens but found no relevant and helpful resources for parents of teenagers.

So yourteenmag.com was born.

I must confess that this is my go-to site to visit as a blogger in the parenting teenagers niche.

MY FAVORITE POST

As parents we want our teens to comply with house rules and be neat and tidy.

Put Your Stuff Away! Hey Kids, I Get It Now and I’m Sorry—Kinda

This article turns this issue on its head. The writer takes an ordinary event that is often the cause of much anger and defiance except that in this case she, and not her teen, is the cause.

It forces her to come to terms with her kids’ messiness. But the writer invites you to go one step further and to try to understand what being a teenager is all about.

The post’s simple storytelling technique of a mom too tired to pick up her stuff compels you to take stock of the many times you overlooked your teen’s long days and your irritation at his stuff just lying around.

The message for parents is clear –do a little research into teenage life and adjust your parenting to it.

2. SUNSHINE AND HURRICANES

This site was started by Michelle and Kira, two Florida moms who have 6 kids between them.

I love the name of this blog which sums up the real rocky road that parenting is today. They advocate smart parenting – to raise great kids the old fashioned way – focussing on basic values and allowing them to be kids without over-scheduling and overstimulating them 24/7.

MY FAVORITE POST

This post is like a fully loaded burger.

Want To Get Your Teen To Talk To You? Ask These Surprising Questions

It tackles several thorny teen issues. The:

•   need for privacy
•   desire for independence
•   coping skills for parents

What I like most about this article is that it seeks to empower parents of teens with the skills to cope with what seems to be a kind of ‘separation anxiety’.

So if you’re dead keen to connect with your teen, check out this simple plan the writer came up from Newton:

According to Newton’s third law, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Stay with me now if you’re wondering what Newton has to do with parenting teenagers.

The link to Newton’s 3rd law is a perfect fit for the parenting styles of most parents of teens. Parents want to support their teens but teens want to be independent. So the more you force them to chat with you, tell you about their friends and what’s going on their angst-filled teen world, the more they clam up and shut you out.

This will be really hard but at least, you won’t feel as if you’re being slapped with monosyllables.

Ask neutral questions that demand nothing – (“I have to go get some new makeup, do you want to come with?”).

Persist with these casual invitations which tap into their interests – (“Can you help me pick out an outfit for this dinner I have to go to?”)

This allows you to spend quality time together and enables them to trust you. Eventually, they will open up to you when they are ready.

The fresh way this blog tackles the challenges of raising teens is why I read and follow Sunshine and Hurricanes.

3. RAISINGTEENSTODAY.COM

This site was started by Nancy, a mom of 3 who knows full well the ups and downs of parenting teenagers. Here is the philosophy behind this blog:

our goal is all about making your life a little easier. Here, we talk about everything – from important topics that keep you up at night and tips on getting through school & college to easy family recipes and clever gift guides.

MY FAVORITE POST

It is tough being a teenager today. You teen is caught up in the pressure to get excellent grades, to excel at sport and to keep pace with the demands of family life.

Stressed Out: Helping Your Teen Cope with School Pressure

At the same time, he has to deal with the teen issues of body image, confidence, peer pressure and so much more.

Is it any wonder that your teen is stressed out?

If you’re anything like me, your first instinct is probably to take away the source of the stress.

But, you can’t because you don’t know how to. In fact, you feel powerless to help. That’s where blog posts like this one step up to the plate to help parents dealing stressed-out teenagers.

This post gives parents a solution to the common problem of teenage stress.

What I liked most about this article is that there is no psychology lesson on what stress is or debate on teen stress. The writer proceeds to empower parents with tips to help their teenagers deal with the plague of stress.

The focus is on how to give teens the skills they need to cope with stress on their own. The best way is to model to your teen good stress management. For example, doing yoga to relieve stress. Your teen is likely to find a similar stress reliever instead of becoming a victim of stress.

Other practical and easy to implement tips include:

•   Developing healthy habits ( exercise, going to bed earlier )
•   Taking a timeout ( go shopping or to the movies)

You’re likely to get an action plan to help your teen cope with his stressors just by visiting this blog.

A key fact in helping your teenager to deal with stress is improving his diet to include superfoods that boost a positive mindset.

4.  AHA! PARENTING

This amazing site was founded by Dr Laura Markham. I love the name  – it calls to mind a sudden moment of understanding which has the power to transform your parenting. She is an advocate of the powerful philosophy of Peaceful Parenting.

Dr Markham is a trained Clinical Psychologist but she’s also a mom and that makes the world of difference to the content on the site. She offers simple doable tips so parents can enjoy being parents.

MY FAVORITE BLOG POST

Most parents find the teen years traumatic. They feel as if their lives have been invaded by a temperamental alien and are clueless about how to deal with it.

Gameplan for Positive Parenting Your Teen

This post offers you a game plan to follow to parent your teen positively.

The biggest takeaway for me is the clarity it brings to the role all parents of teens need to take – be both parent and a friend.

But also to never forget that your role is to be a kind of GPS for your teen. Give support, guidance, and encouragement so that he does not veer off and go astray. Yield on the need for privacy and expression of individuality (weird fashion sense and all) but be prepared to enforce rules when you need to.

It is vital to have a list of good habits for the family to follow. A few examples are:

•   Have dinner together every day

•   Create one on one time daily

•   Go on parent-teen dates

•   Have firm rules about tech use

•   Stay connected

•   Have regular family meetings

During the teen years, you have to nurture your bonds with them. It’s harder work than running a marathon sometimes. But persevere and you’re sure to create strong family bonds.

5. The Tech Mum.com

Nicolle started the techmum.com because she is as her About pages says:

passionate about educating parents on internet safety for kids.

She wants parents to get ‘Tech-Fit’ so they can help steer their kids away from online predators and unsavory digital experiences.

Topics on this site range from online safety tips for families to tips about appropriate online behavior to tracking and monitoring apps parents can install on their teen’s cell phones.

MY FAVORITE BLOG POST

The task of parenting today is made more difficult because of the digital age we live in.

This article educates parents about the basics of digital parenting.

Beginners Guide to Digital Parenting

The basis of this post is that parents are raising digital natives when they are largely ignorant of the digital world.

Nicolle advises parents to acquire all the skills they can about tech devices, online safety, and monitoring apps. Failure to do so can easily cause a disconnect with teens.

She advises parents of teens especially to encourage open communication and to grow a relationship where they feel safe to come to you with their issues. This may allow them to confide in you if they’re being stalked online or being cyber bullied.

Golden rules for parents of digital natives:

•  Educate yourself about the cellphone your teen has

•  Teach them the importance of proper online conduct

•  Inform you teens about the dangers of sharing pictures and personal info online

•  Get to know the apps your teen uses

•  Be vigilant about your teen’s internet use

•  Use parental controls and settings to help with online safety

What parents can also do is make time away from tech and the internet fun. Do outdoor fun activities to shift the focus to healthy alternatives to surfing the web or chatting with friends online.

This is a must visit blog for all parents never mind parents of teenagers. It is a catch-all site that addresses every concern a parent has about the digital age and kids using tech today.

YOUR TURN

This quotation sums up what teens are striving for:

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
E. E. Cummings

You are faced with the difficult task of equipping your teen with the skills he needs to navigate the world. What he needs from you during these stormy years is your unstinting love and support.

The blogs I’ve discussed will show you how to parent successfully when all you want to do is give up. They will give you essential parenting add – ons to your toolkit.

Give these blogs a read and a follow. You will be a better parent for it and certainly, your family life will be happier.