During the early stages of their adolescence, it is natural for kids to be hesitant to step out of their comfort zone. Even something as small as food can be a major challenge. However, they can learn to embrace the challenge of stepping out of their comfort zones if they are encouraged to try new things. Those little nudges when they’re young will carry on when they’re older. So, here are some ways to get your teen to embrace stepping out of their comfort zone!
Encourage them to try new things
Childhood should be the best time to get kids to try something new, including being a teenager. Whether it’s learning how to ride a Mongoose BMX bike, doing the splits, or even something unique like riding a unicycle, they will need that encouragement to get started. An idea only stays an idea until encouragement is involved. To help them start off on the right foot, encourage them to devise a plan to reach their goal. Helping them in creating these small goals can help out a lot.
Teach them there’s no shame in asking for help
While small children are fine with asking for help, teens are usually a little too prideful, so they may not do this. Plus, when it comes to asking for help, a lot of teens think that they need to do it all by themselves. But in reality, everyone needs help and support to keep them going through life. So, when you see that your teen is struggling and needs help, encourage them to ask for it. Explain that it takes courage to be vulnerable and to talk about their feelings. Apart from getting out of your comfort zone, getting into an unfamiliar territory where you don’t know what to do next is why help is needed.
Let them know mistakes are okay
If you want to get your teen to embrace stepping out of their comfort zone, they need to see that making mistakes is not only okay but beneficial. Mistakes help shape us, teach us important lessons, and encourage us to try new things. Teens tend to want to be perfectionists, plus with social media, there is this push to do things right the first time.
But it’s obviously not realistic, and practice makes perfect. So, it’s essential to teach responsibility this way, as teens are more likely to make decisions when held accountable for their actions, but they won’t beat themselves too hard for making small mistakes. In the end, small mistakes are fine; they help push those out of their comfort zone.
Help them celebrate their successes
The ability to step out of our comfort zone and try new things can be challenging. But it can also be vital to our development and growth, especially for teens. Many adolescents resist stepping out of their comfort zones, fearing that they’ll make mistakes or fail. But they’ll never grow and develop if they aren’t willing to try. While it can be a struggle, every parent needs to celebrate their child’s success. In the long run, this is going to boost their confidence and keep them motivated, so in the end, this is going to be very beneficial for them.