Hurdling is a difficult event athletes train for with skill and determination. Just as these committed individuals 
are focused on achieving their goal, we, as parents, can assist our adolescent females how to soar over life’s hurdles.
We’ve done some research that may be useful in equipping your daughter for her race. According to an online resource – trackandfield.lifetips.com – here is the (4) P Plan used in hurdle coaching, which is certainly applicable in parenting teenagers.
The 4 P’s
- Plan – Challenges are inevitable. But, we can increase the likelihood of success by helping our young ladies create a plan. Her plan can consist of positive ways to handle age-related issues. These can include how to handle school, parents, friends, maintain healthy relationships, avoid addictions and building their self-worth.
- Prod – We as parents can utilize other parents as resources. Talk to friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc. on how they handle certain situations with their teens. Ask questions. Listen. Learn. And, see what works for your family.
- Prepare – Just as athletes ready themselves for the task at hand, prepping for the aforementioned issues are doable. We can ensure our teenager has supportive family members, trustworthy friends, spiritual guidance, and a professional counselor – if necessary. Also, appropriate resources such as classes, books, journals, videos, etc. are excellent references.
- Practice – Practicing what to do in certain situations may prove beneficial. Sound silly? Maybe. But, rehearsing various scenarios can eliminate fear, anxiety and alert your teen on what to do – if certain occurrences arise. Making it a family affair can allow for additional bonding and lots of fun (involve younger siblings, too; they’d love it).
In fact, we offer a Teens with Life Choices (TLC) Course to prepare your adolescent female, ages 12 to 14, for the inevitable. This two-day, interactive session is a must for your daughter! Participants learn how to handl
e school, parents, friends, maintain healthy relationships, avoid/defeat addictions and build their self-worth. Our compassionate instructors foster a safe, nurturing atmosphere for honest dialogue and sensible solutions to problematic circumstances. Every participant is given course materials as take-a-ways for future reference – in case she needs a quick review of what was learned.
For more information on our TLC program, contact program coordinator Kyrin Minor at (337) 984-4959 or kyrin@womansfoundation.com. To learn more visit www.womansfoundation.com/tweens-and-teens-with-life-choices. Connect with us on social media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube and Pinetrest.
At Woman’s Foundation, we understand growing up is tough; we can help.
Happy Parenting!
