1. Encourage Expression
Adolescence is a time of self-assertion.
The transition from childhood to adulthood,
and it’s perfectly normal for
this “former child,” who until yesterday received opinions and guidance, to now want to show themselves as “almost-adults,” expressing their own worldviews.
This is where posters on walls, collectible items on countertops, and a whole kit of disorganized personalization come in, creating a sense of chaos in the space!
The best way to organize all this expression is to make space for it!
Enhance the decor with bulletin boards where your teenager can put their ideas and passions!
For collectible items and other “3D” passions, make use of niches and shelves, utilize overhead space to display items without cluttering the environment.
2. Facilitate Good Habits
Another normal characteristic of adolescence is “laziness,” if you don’t remember, being a teenager is very tiring!
Hormones are raging, and there’s a biological burden that causes even more sleepiness and fatigue.
But, is waiting for the teenage years to pass the only solution for clothes strewn across the room?
Please, no!!!
What you can do is facilitate good habits and make them as “anti-laziness” as possible!
For example: Are dirty clothes left on the floor instead of being taken to the laundry? Placing a basket in their room can help a lot (without a lid, please! We’re trying to make things easier here!).
For those clothes that will remain in use, coat racks can be very useful.
And a wall hook can solve the problem of that school bag always left in the middle of the floor!
3. Establish a Routine
Routines work wonders in people’s lives at any age – seriously!
For teenagers, it becomes even more important because they are just steps away from adulthood
and already start to face certain demands, which can be very stressful in this phase of so many changes.
Having a structured routine will help them have predictability and even
understand that they will survive the math assignment,
since there’s a scheduled life after it in the agenda!
In this routine, take the opportunity to include some household maintenance tasks.
Adults need to have autonomy and know how to take care of their space,
and the family is our first society, involving them in this dynamic is training them to take care of themselves and others.
What’s important in this step: Remember to train your child, teach them how things should be done.
Don’t assume they know how to do it, even if you’ve done the task in front of them several times (believe me, they weren’t paying attention!).
Additionally: Accept imperfections and guide with patience, understand it as a process of development and learning!