Most teens feel “different” in one way or another. Parents may understand their teens, but sometimes not in a way their children want them to. Here are some things to remember that may help parents understand their teens and help them to fit in:
• Remember, at this age friendships are very important. School is a teen’s home away from home and parents should be prepared to feel a little neglected at times.
• Understand and accept that teens can be a different person when they are at home or at school; when they are with family or with their friends.
• Allow teens to keep some of their thoughts to themselves. Whether they want to communicate or not, keep the lines open at all times.
• Remind young teens that everyone doesn’t have to like them and that socializing is a skill that gets better with practice.
• A good way to learn how to fit in might be to read books and watch movies about how other kids their age do it, such as “Napoleon Dynamite” or “Dr. Dolittle 3,” which has just been brought out in a new DVD.
In the third Dr. Dolittle, the next generation, Maya Dolittle just wants to be a normal teenager despite the fact that she has inherited her father’s uncanny ability to talk to the animals. So far this ability has brought her nothing but trouble.
Maya heads to Durango summer camp to get to know herself better. While there, she realizes that she can use her gift to help save the troubled ranch.
This hilarious third installment of the wildly popular series is not only great fun, it’s a nice lesson on how new surroundings can sometimes help teens realize it’s okay to be different.
