Parenting teens is challenging, especially when it comes to keeping your connection with them. This can seem increasingly hard as your child grows independent and spends more time away from home.

At times, it may seem impossible to keep your relationship alive. But with some patience and fresh ideas, you’ll find it is possible to connect with your teenager again.

So read our 6 easy ways to connect with a teenager and enjoy strengthening your bond with your almost grown-up child.

1. Get to know their friends

Friendships are so important during the teenage years. Most likely, your child spends more time with their friends than you or other family members, so their peers are an enormous support and influence on their everyday life.

So to bond with your teen, you need to get to know their friends. Open your house to your child’s friends, making your home a base for them to hang out. Provide their favourite food and drinks, offer a listening ear if needed and just let them hang out together.

By being welcoming without being overbearing, you’ll be rewarded with a closer bond with both your child and their peers.

2. Create traditions and rituals

Creating traditions and rituals is a great way to cement a long-lasting bond with your child. It’s also a way to make happy memories that will help your teen look back on this part of their childhood with affection.

You could eat out at your child’s favourite restaurant once a month or cook a special dish together to mark family occasions. Or why not create rituals around special occasions like birthdays or holidays? It doesn’t actually matter what your ritual is, only that it’s something that brings pleasure and a sense of togetherness to the whole family.

3. Share a love of food

If there’s one thing most teens can’t get enough of, it’s food! And there are lots of ways you can bond with your child through this medium.

Eating together is a great opportunity to connect. It doesn’t have to be every single mealtime. Some families find it easier to commit to a late breakfast or brunch on a weekend day rather than sit together at the same time every night for dinner. It’s an opportunity for meaningful conversations or to talk through what’s coming up in the week ahead.

If your child shows an interest in cooking, have fun creating dishes together. Be led by your teen’s suggestions and enjoy the process of discovering new cuisine while carrying out that all-important bonding!

4. Wear complementary wristbands

Wristbands are a fun and simple way to connect with your teenager. There’s a design for every cause, so why not match up with your teen by wearing complementary wristbands?

It could be to show your support for a charity, to mark an awareness day or simply to share your own special message. Take your pick from silicone, fabric or eco wristbands, which can come with a pre-printed message, or customise your own wristband with unique wording.

And if your child has a health condition, you could also consider wearing complementary medical wristbands to raise awareness of what they are going through.

5. Show you care

It doesn’t matter how big your teenager has grown, they still need to know that you care. While it’s not as easy as when they were little and you could scoop them up and give them a hug, there are lots of ways to make them feel secure.

Arrange little surprises for them to show you care. This could be having their favourite snack ready when they get in from school or leaving Post-it notes around with fun or motivational messages. And even moody teens will appreciate you saying goodnight at the end of the day and giving them a big bear hug too!

6. Get interested in their interests

Knowing what your teen is into is an important part of bonding. You don’t have to be wild about their choice of music, fashion or computer games, but showing an interest and asking questions will help them feel validated.

If they show interest in an activity you can do together — whether that’s a sport or creative hobby — so much the better. Cheer each other on and share your goals so that it feels that you’re working together towards a common purpose.

Bond over customised wristbands

If you feel like you’re losing your bond with your teen, don’t despair. Just by trying out some of our suggestions, you can rekindle the closeness that you once enjoyed.

Start simple by ordering customised eco, silicone or fabric wristbands from our collection.

A wrist band can be customised with any wording you choose, so spend some time with your teen designing your own complementary wristbands with a message as unique as your own special relationship!