It has always been a dream for all mothers to see their children grow and develop into successful individuals. No amount of money could equate once their children accomplished something good and beneficial.
The children’s foundation can be attributed to how the parents or mothers took care of them from the time they were infants to toddlers, up to becoming teenagers.
It can never be denied that the teenagers of today — the millennials (those born roughly between 1981 to 1996) — are far way different from the teens of years back, in terms of behavior, decision-making abilities, and disposition.
One of the nightmares that mothers could imagine is when their children traverse into the teenager stage which I consider to be “a world of exploratory”.
It is at this point when they do experimentation to fit into the society’s mold.
A number of them are peer-pressured to commit juvenile delinquency like vices and criminality.
Also, with the marching of technology from one corner to the other, everything is achieved at their fingertips.
Some of the common problems our teenagers today are facing are drinking and smoking, depression, cyber addiction, early pregnancy, and bullying.
How do mothers combat these problems that are not the norm (at least from my point of view)? How can mothers guide their teenagers so they don’t go astray? Was Rizal right when he asserted that our youth is the hope of our fatherland?
Being the ilaw ng tahanan, mothers play an essential role, and may do better to reflect on some of these pointers:
First, mothers can extend their helping hand rather than control the lives of their teenagers, expecting them to do things that are against their will. Moms don’t need to necessarily pressure their teens in their studies, rather to always encourage them on the value of education.
Second, an open conversation between mother and teenager is of paramount importance. Mothers can ask their teens how their day went or in whose company they enjoyed the most. The transition of these millennials from childhood to teenage is not easy. They long for genuine and dedicated attention. Mothers can learn to empathize with their teens, and try putting themselves in their teenagers’ shoes some time in these difficult times.
Third, mothers can support their teenagers’ goals no matter how big or small, so the kids may realize how much they are worth. Mothers can show that they truly got their teenagers’ backs.
The role of mothers in raising their teenagers is indeed a Herculean task, needing great power and strength, and a lot of prayers.
Rica Y. Joguilon
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