Your parents may also need a good listener sometimes! Use body language to let people know you’re listening. Tilt your head, nod along, and maintain eye contact. You’ll find that people don’t always want you to say something or tell them what to do after you’ve listened. They just need you to be there for them as a sounding board.
Go online to search for places to volunteer. It could be anyplace, from an animal shelter to a museum to a senior home - it’s up to you! If you still live with your parents, you can spend a little extra time doing stuff around the house (even things that aren’t your chores).
If you don’t live with your parents anymore, doing little, unexpected things for them is a great way to show you love them. Take them out for a bite to eat and pick up the tab.
For example, if you bump into someone, be sure to apologize and say “excuse me. " Writing thank you notes is a great way to express gratitude.
For example, maybe you saw on the news that a storm destroyed people’s homes and possessions in a faraway city. Ask yourself, “how would I feel if I suddenly had nowhere to live and owned nothing except what I could carry out of my house?” You should also turn your empathy into action. Take initiative and start a fundraising drive at your workplace or school to send help to strangers in need.
It’s much better to talk about problems than to let them fester. If you’re feeling hurt by a friend, tell them. Say: “Hey Emily. I know you probably didn’t mean to be hurtful when you told me that I’m probably not going to get that promotion, but it made me feel unsupported. Can we talk about ways to be truthful with each other without being mean?”
For example, if you notice another student getting made fun of because of their accent or skin color, say something like: “You know, John, I think the things you’re saying aren’t true and are really hurtful. Try to imagine saying something like that to you. How would you feel?”
Keep in mind the clichéd but still-relevant advice: “Don’t say anything if you don’t have anything nice to say. ”
If you’re still living with your parents and siblings, focus on respecting each other’s boundaries and helping the others out when they need it. You’ll probably generally talk to other relatives on family phone calls, but it also never hurts to call grandma on your own.
If your parents are busy, offer to cook dinner one night. They will be proud of your cooking abilities, and it will be a great opportunity to grow closer. Try designating one night a week for the whole family to hang out. You could watch a movie, go out to dinner, or do a craft together.
If you bomb a math test, ask yourself how you might change your behavior in class or practice new study habits. Talk to your teacher about what you can do to get a better result on the next exam.
For example, your parents will certainly be proud when you get your first job (even if you kind of hate it) with a nice salary and benefits like health insurance. This will show them that you know these things are an important part of being an adult. While you don’t need to go to college to make your parents proud, most parents will probably want their children to go to college, or to attend some sort of trade school. They know that having this extra education will make it easier for you to find a job and support yourself.
This is especially important to remember if you feel like your parents are pressuring you to be someone that you’re not.
This could be going out for the lead in the school play, taking the Advanced Placement English class, or deciding to go back to school and get your Master’s degree.
For example, maybe you just decided to take the upper-level Calculus class. Instead of thinking “what if I get a zero on every test?” tell yourself “I’m going to be super well-prepared for college math classes. ” As you grow older, there are a lot of scary decisions you’re going to have to make on your own. Thinking about the outcomes positively will help you pursue your dreams, which is all your parents want for you.
