Absolutely no one would call the transition from adolescence to adulthood “smooth.” Even in best case scenarios everyone goes through some form of identity crisis, some reckoning with their body changes, and some growing pains (literal and figurative) as they figure out what it means to be a successful, healthy adult. There are even some who say that today’s youth take a longer, more rocky road to adulthood and arrive there later than previous generations. What about your teen? Is she on the right track to become a happy adult? How can you help her to make the transition as smoothly as possible?
Skills for a Smooth Transition to Adulthood
The first step to helping your daughter transition from a teen to an adult is to acknowledge that it IS actually going to happen. Many parents don’t like to think about their little girl growing up, or get caught up in the immaturity of teen behavior and never think about their teen girl becoming an adult. Once you’re able to accept the reality that your teen girl will one day leave your home and enter the world as an adult you will look at her, and the way you treat her, differently. She needs more love, more guidance, more help, and more attention – and there are several ways for you to offer those resources to her.
One easy way to help her prepare for the transition to adulthood is to help her learn adult skills. If you’re nervous about sensitive or tough conversations, teaching her these skills is a more functional way to begin.
- How to do her own laundry
- How to clean bathrooms, kitchens, ovens, refrigerators, and how to sweep, mop, and vacuum.
- Practice simple recipes for foods she likes
- Balancing a checkbook
- Budgeting a grocery trip
- Basic lessons about insurance, utilities, and other bills
- Using a planner or to-do list
- Simple car maintenance: oil changes, tire pressure, flat tires
- Resume and interview skills
Tougher Stuff
If you thought teaching her to change a tire was hard, you may feel the urge to avoid some of the trickier conversation topics about transitioning to adulthood. Unfortunately some uncomfortable, tough, and sensitive conversations are needed. Look for opportunities to talk to your daughter about the following topics as she transitions to adulthood:
- Consequences of sex and sexual violence
- Choosing good friends and positive, supportive influences
- Healthy and safe dating and relationship habits
- Dealing with rejection and failure
- Her strengths and weaknesses
- Legal and illegal use of alcohol and other substances
- Body Issues: staying healthy, physical fitness, objectification, unrealistic media portrayals
- Plans and options for post-high school life
- Current political and social issues in the world
If your teen daughter needs more help in her transition to adulthood, don’t be afraid to look into the programs offered at residential treatment centers. The structure and design is specifically directed to help her grow, transition, and succeed as a healthy and happy adult.
Think Havenwood Might Be For You?
We encourage any visitors considering placing their daughter in treatment to fill out our online assessment as soon as possible. This two minute form will give our admissions team all the information needed to determine if your daughter is a good fit for our program.
Eric Allred was born and raised in Rigby, Idaho. He grew up on a family farm where he learned the value of work. He graduated from Rigby High School and attended Rick’s College, now known as BYU-Idaho. He received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Utah State University, received a master’s degree in organizational behavior and human relations from the University of Phoenix and a second master’s degree in marital and family therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute. Eric has been involved in Rotary and was president of a local Rotary Club. He enjoys being with his family and doing outdoor activities such as fly fishing.
Chase was very fortunate to start in this industry as a struggling 17 year old kid looking for a mentor and something to be passionate about. Wilderness therapy was Chase’s first stop in this industry and was truly a transcendental experience for him. Chase has an enormous love for this line of work and the power that it has in creating change in everyone involved. Chase’s biggest belief is the power a mentor, strong, healthy relationships, and accountability can have on anyone, especially youth. Taking a very relational approach to his work, Chase has always been very relatable to the students he works with. Being able to understand and relate to a vast variety of the same struggles as a lot of the students he works with has been able to help him continue to grow, learn, and teach. Chase believes that with great rapport and trust, he can use his experience to continue to coach and train new staff, and has the ability to find those staff with the passion for this industry, and help them grow. His love and passion can be felt the moment you talk with Chase about this industry and he passes that on to others he works with. In his spare time you will find Chase cheering for the Eagles, Yankees, and Mavericks, hanging out with his brother, learning more about Eastern Psychology, and continuing to grow and learn.