message to all parents
• not taking your child's injuries seriously when they're younger, may make them feel like they can't tell you anything when they're older.
• please let your kid take personal days once in awhile once they reach high school.
• grades are not everything. you can get plenty of well paying jobs now without having to go to college.
• let them be who they want. they can't change who they are, whether it is sexual orientation, gender identity or anything else. they need someone to support them.
• never say "you're too young to know".
• 1/3 teenagers deal with a mental illness of some sort (in the uk). please make sure they're okay.
• you can't make them chose an educational field.
• even an a+ student who's a star athlete can be suicidal.
• mental health comes first.
• self harm is more common than you think amongst teenagers. it's also not always cutting (or on wrists). be aware.
• sex education doesn't teach them anything.
• tattoos and piercing aren't "unprofessional" anymore.
• if they have depression, please do not call them lazy. it's almost the worst insult you could say.
• if their grades are dropping for no reason, ask about it. don't assume things.
• most teenagers don't have high self esteem. don't make it worse.
• school is much harder now than it ever has been before.
• don't take their phones/computers away from them, it might be a link to what could be the only people that understand and care about them.
• don't get mad at them for always being on their phone/computer. they have friends online and it's absolute hell to get yelled at by parents for talking to your friends.
• don't force them to be more outgoing, especially if they show signs of not enjoying large groups of people.
• if your son wants to get his nails painted, like his mom does, let him.
• if your daughter wants to try out for football, like her dad did, let her.
• never tell your son he can't cry because "boys don't cry".
• if your daughter does something she really loves and you don't, never tell her it's not "lady like".
• harming your kids never solves things, if anything it makes them hate you, and i'm not talking only about slapping.
