An Adult’s Secret Weapon for Relating to Teenagers

Statistics have never been my strong point. Whether I’m collating them, remembering them, or using them, it just seems to be hard work for me. But one stat I have never had trouble understanding, remembering or using is this one: 100% of adults have been teenagers.

Sounds obvious I know, and every one I tell it to seems to have no trouble understanding it. However when it comes to the way adults relate to teenagers this stat would have to be one of the most forgotten and under-utilised statistics in modern society.

Many adults feel like teenagers are mysterious creatures they have never encountered before and believe they cannot possibly understand what is going on inside a teenager’s head.  Others feel like they have no idea how to communicate with a teenager, and to acquire the ability to do so is harder than learning a foreign language.

If every adult (100%) has been a teenager, why do we think teenagers are so strange?

Because we have forgotten where we came from!

If we can remember what it was like to walk the adolescent road with all its uncertainties, discoveries, and excitements, then we are able to deploy the secret weapon every adult has for relating to teenager – personal experience.

Personal experience is every adults secret weapon for relating to teenagers.

Every adult has been inside a teenagers head – their own.

Every adult has lived with the changes of puberty – their own.

Every adult has at least 7 years of personal experience as a teenager.  7 years in most professions would make you an expert – adults are in many ways teenage experts. All we have to do is remember where we came from.