The Myths of Traveling with Teenagers

Traveling with teenagers can be a positive adventure. Despite popular opinion, traveling with a teenager can be a rewarding period of time filled with a lot of laughter and engaging, enlightening conversation. Travel with a teenager does not have to mean long periods of silence punctuated by the echo of the headphones slowly making your teenager hearing impaired. However, the expectation and accompanying attitude that you pack is most likely what your teenager will deliver in return.

Teenagers are known to be highly self-absorbed individuals who are pulling away from their families in any way they know because they want nothing but for them to turn into a full fledged grown up enjoying full fledged rights and responsibilities. This is only partly true. Travel with an adolescent is not only time for you to pull out of your everyday expectations, responsibilities, and endeavors, but it is also a chance for them to pull away from theirs as well. Growing up is not easy, and a little break from the life they are experiencing can be rewarding for both of you.

Do not Push, Stay Calm, Curb Forced Humor

Do not try to be funny. Yes, every teenager relates well to a little sarcastic humor, but do not try to be their friend and crack yourself up with some low down jumble—speak that you believe your adolescent will appreciate. Be yourself. Be a parent. Let them slowly open up during the course of the trip. If you are ramming your good time down their throat then chances are that you will be spending your good time alone or watching them try rather diligently to spoil it. If you relax and just bring up interesting points along the way, whether it is about the trip or life in general, and really listen to their responses during that four second break in between CD tracks, you will create solid ground from which to move forward as the trip does.

Teenagers know that parents tend to believe that they are generally irresponsible individuals. They know that you are praying that they are not having sex, doing drugs, drinking, or downloading horrifying material off the internet while simultaneously suspecting that they are when your back is turned. Expect your teen to push a few buttons and rattle your chains once you have stepped into their zone or broke through their sound barrier even for awhile. The more you take their behavior in stride the less they will push and the greater the chance for a real connection to occur.

Understand Music is Essential

For any teenager traveling with one or two parents in a car for any period of time there is an absolute need for them to zone off into their world and crank their music just a little louder than you want it. Most teenagers process life procedures and daily encounters this way, thus allowing them to do things their way can help pave a smoother way of connecting with them especially when the track is over.

Ask, Tell, and Listen

Ask your teenage real life questions. If you value their opinion, genuinely, you and your kid can have some pretty unique and in depth conversations that lead to a better understanding and more committed method of communication. Keep your responses tempered with the notion that you do not have to agree with them in order to love them, they have a right to their own thought processes, and if you really listen they will speak openly. You and your teenager are going to be trapped together for the duration of your trip. You can either bring along a great attitude and connect with each other or you can forget your great attitude at home and pretend that there is not a boat load of stress and tension marring your trip. When trapped with an adolescent, parental attitude is the key to success.


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