The following is a guest post from Heather Glenn of alignedambition.com. As soon as we discovered her site, we knew we wanted to feature her work. Our mission at Better Screen Time is to help you worry less (about screens!) and to connect more with your kids.
So many parents struggle to connect with their teens. It can be a challenging time, and yet, there are so many important decisions to be made! We’re so glad Heather is offering her expertise and services so we can work with our teen to help her discover her strengths and potential career path.
As my children moved into the teen years, I became motivated to learn more about them and better prepare them for transitioning to adulthood. With my background in Human Resources, I was aware of the several methods to measure the aptitudes of employees and applicants. I began to wonder about using some of these tools to help guide the careers of my own children.
I set on a quest to help them find some potential career fields and what I found was quite gratifying. In addition to helping my child identify real career interests, we became more connected.
As parents, we may wonder if teens are ready or willing to talk seriously about their future. Not only are they ready, but they need to do this. This process not only says “you need to take yourself seriously” but it also means “I take you seriously.”
Selecting a career path is not simply about picking a field, a major, or a job. When done well, it is about self-discovery and self-connection. It includes learning about oneself and attaching value to that self-concept. When done best it includes parental input of added insight, validation, support, and vision.
This study of your child will bring you closer. I will help you understand your child more fully. It may even guide you in your parenting. It is for them. It is for you. The whole process captures a more accurate self-portrait from which to build. The parent and child move closer and, yet, the
child begins to stand more firmly in their own space.
My entire process has many steps but, for today, we will focus on the first one: identifying the strengths of your child. I have included an exercise that you can do with your child to start the conversation about qualities, aptitudes, and traits that make your child unique.
This exercise is a quick-start version of the services I offer. For more information on a comprehensive study, please visit me at alignedambition.com.
