As our children grow and become teenagers, it can be difficult for parents to accept the changes, especially during the holiday season. We hold on to the traditions we had through their early years and can find it challenging to figure out how to move forward and share similar experiences with our teens. While some of those traditions do not translate into “fun” for teenagers there are plenty of traditions that do! We want to help you engage your teenagers in holiday traditions that can be fun and make for some quality family time.

Here are some tips on how to engage your teen this holiday season:

Allow your teen to have some input.

If your teen is disinterested in or complaining about a holiday tradition that is important to you, ask for their input. Is there something they suggest that would make it more enjoyable for them? Encourage them to find ways to have fun with it!

Ask your teen what their favorite holiday traditions are. Be sure to make those happen. There is a great chance they still want to decorate cookies, watch Christmas movies, or exchange gifts.

Ask your teen what their favorite food is at the holidays. Make sure it is a part of your holiday meal. Better yet, ask your teen to help you make it!

Be flexible with their time.

Allow your teen to make plans with their friends during the holiday season. While it is easy to want to keep them all to yourself, remember they are growing up and have built relationships with their peers. Let them know the specific times that are important to you, then allow them to plan around those.

Encourage your teen to host friends at your house. It is a great opportunity for your teen to have time with their friends and for you to help make it special for them. Set up a hot chocolate bar with lots of toppings, provide snacks, and encourage them to do a gift exchange. If they are musically inclined, they could gather for caroling. Ask your teen what they would like to do with their friends and work together to create something special.

Be open to trying new things

As your teen grows, their interests change and they have more awareness of things they would like to do. Ask them if there are any holiday traditions they would like to try out that you have not done before. This could be an opportunity for you to bond as a family and find new traditions.

There are so many opportunities to have fun and be silly together, volunteer and serve others, support music and the arts, or spend quality time with family and friends. Let your teen find ways to do the things that bring them joy, engage them in your family traditions, and be open to creating new ones!

The most important thing to remember when engaging your teen this holiday season is that traditions matter to them too! Even the grumpiest teenager will grow up and have memories flood in when they see the first twinkle of Christmas lights, smell something that reminds them of Grandma’s apple cider, or sit down to watch a Christmas movie. That is what makes f family time and the traditions shared during the holidays so wonderful and important!

Check out our other holiday blog, “How Holiday Traditions are Helpful for Teens and Families” to learn more about how family traditions help teens and families.

If your teen is struggling with the upcoming holiday season, and you feel they could use some extra support, please call us at (205) 538-3978. We have immediate availability.

If you have additional questions about Teen Counseling, visit our blogs for help:

Questions to ask a prospective teen therapist

What to Expect from Teen Therapy

Common Questions about Teen Therapy

If you are divorced and looking for help with co-parenting through the holidays, visit these blogs:

Co-Parenting & Holidays: Tips for Success (part 1)

Tips from a coparenting counselor: Rethinking holiday visitation custody schedules (part 2)