Key Takeaways:

• Encourage open discussions with teenagers about current global challenges without minimising their concerns.
• Promote critical thinking skills to help teens analyse and interpret the information they encounter online.
• Highlight the power of historical resilience and problem-solving to inspire hope in uncertain times.
• Empower teenagers by focusing on their ability to control certain aspects of their environment and decisions.
• Model resilience and optimism as parents to influence teens positively, ensuring they learn coping strategies through observation and guidance.

Notable Quotes:

• "Our role as parents and carers is to help our teens build confidence that they can handle uncertainty when it does come."
• "Hope isn't pretending that a problem doesn't exist. Hope is believing that challenges can be faced."
• "One of the greatest gifts we can give our teens is to teach them that not everything online deserves equal weight or attention."
• "Confidence grows when our young people experience that they actually have some choices and they have some agency."
• "I believe you'll be able to handle it. You're going to be able to handle what the world throws at you."

Resources:

• Follow Collett Smart on Instagram and Facebook.
• Learn more on Collett Smart’s website: www.collettsmart.com

Click here to contact Collett or ask her a question or Click here to contact the Raising Teens team.

Collett is a psychologist, qualified teacher, speaker, and internationally published author, with 25 years' experience working in private and public schools, as well as in private practice.

Visit Raising Teens for more resources, click here for Collett's books, or join the discussion on Facebook.

Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram.

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