What Does Your Teenager Want to Do? Helping Young Adults Find Purpose
Being a teenager is complicated enough without thinking about the world beyond. After all, learning about life and your place in it is so fraught with complexity that envisioning what to do can be vexing! But one of the most important things a parent can do when helping young adults find purpose is asking the right questions.
If you’re a parent raising a young adult, their schedule is probably full of activities and friends. However, making the time for them to think about what they want will actually make their day-to-day life easier. By exploring their passion and talent, they’ll have the outlet they need to improve their self-esteem and their outlook.
If you’re looking for ways to help your teenager determine their goals, there are a few easy ways you can help them engage. By giving them the tools to ask the right questions, they’ll be able to sail through a challenging time with their sense of self intact. You may want to visit ThinkPsych to learn more about helping your teenager with self-discovery!
Encourage Volunteerism
An important part of a teenager understanding their place in the world is learning about the world around them. Fortunately, that doesn’t just have to happen at school or a part-time job. Volunteerism can be just the thing to get them involved and interested!
Does your teenager have a specific thing they like to do? Is there a social issue that they’re particularly passionate about? If so, volunteerism can serve in helping young adults find purpose and cultivate curiosity! For example, if they like nature, helping with a community garden can be a good way for them to learn about plants. Or, if they’re concerned about hunger and poverty, working in a food bank might be of benefit.
Whether or not they discover what their dream job might be, a volunteer position can help them to engage with their community and understand their strengths. Through that, they may better understand how they want to fit into the world.
Ask About It
Most teenagers don’t want to be asked about what they want to do when they grow up. In fact, a lot of adults don’t even want to be asked that question!
Fortunately, determining a career path for high school students doesn’t have to be a big deal. It can be as simple as a quick conversation that gets at their interests without making them feel pressured. Questions like “What’s your favorite thing to do?” or “What do you think you’re really good at?” can help a child probe their passions. If your child isn’t a big talker, you may even want to try Chat Chains, a fun game that can help them open up!
By getting the conversation started, it may enable your child – on their own – to really think about what they want. While an answer may not come overnight, asking the right questions is a good place to begin.
Try Some Traveling
Volunteerism in your community can be a great means of seeing more of the world. But travel can also offer a fun, inspiring way in helping young adults find purpose!
Whether you go for a road trip to a nearby city or abroad to Europe or Australia, seeing what the world offers can provide new insights. Your teenager will be able to see the variation between different places and cultures. And, such an abundance of information can help them understand their own likes and dislikes, and instill gratitude. By seeing where they might fit in, they may be able to come up with some ideas for where life can take them.
Fortunately, travel doesn’t have to be an expensive venture. A short road trip to somewhere nearby can open your child’s eyes, making them aware of what lies beyond their own street.
Be ‘Real’
A parent’s job is to help their child learn about themselves and encourage them to move towards their dreams. But, as important as it is, it’s also important to give them a sense of reality.
For kids who haven’t been out in the world, it’s easy to be hopeful about a potential career path for high school students. Unfortunately, there’s a considerable difference between how your teenager sees the world and what it really is. That’s why it’s important for your child to have a plan and a means of working towards their dreams. Instead of curbing their hopes, help them take the steps so they can gain experience on their chosen path.
It’s important to encourage your child’s success and not stomp on their hopes. But be sure that your child is aware of the hurdles they might face so that they can roll with the punches.
Model Positive Behavior
One of the most important things you can do as a parent is exhibit the behavior you want to inspire. A child who hears swears will likely say them, while a child who sees you smoke might pick up a cigarette.
Fortunately, positive habits have the power to wear off on your teenager too. By choosing to be an adult who is inspired and enjoys their life, your child will be able to follow your example. Whether you find contentment from your job, do volunteer work, or find happiness in your hobbies, share it with your teenager! By seeing how you live your life, they’ll be inspired to seek out things that provide them with fulfillment.
It may take time with helping young adults find purpose. However, choosing to instill your day-to-day life with meaning and value will rub off over time!
Help Them Follow Their Purpose!
Being a teenager is tough when you’re trying to figure out your place in the world. Fortunately, as a parent there are many meaningful ways you can help your child sort out the big questions. By engaging in their life and living an inspiring one yourself, your teenager will possess what they need to make positive choices for themselves!
Are you struggling to talk to your teen about the big issues? Get the conversation started with Dive In! It’s the perfect game for getting them to talk and helping young adults find purpose. Not only does it offer up unexpected family fun, it can help your teen open up and think about all the big questions!
References
Children’s Health Council. Guiding Teens Towards Finding Purpose in Life. Guiding Teens Towards Finding Purpose in Life
Greater Good Magazine. How to Help Teens Find Purpose.
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_help_teens_find_purpose
Today. How to help my young adult find their purpose.
https://www.today.com/parenting-guides/how-help-my-young-adult-find-their-purpose-t179010
