Not getting enough sleep can slow down many of his abilities - such as the ability to learn, listen, concentrate and solve problems. It can also cause him to forget very simple items like someone’s phone number, or when homework is due. A lack of sleep can cause health problems, including acne. And can cause him to consume more unhealthy items like coffee or soda. Not getting enough sleep can also affect his behaviour, causing him to become irritable or angry faster than he would normally. He may end up being mean or rude to someone that he’ll regret later.
Encourage him to participate in family events and volunteer in the community. Teach him about responsible financial management. Show him how to be respectful of other people, their rights and their property. Rather than telling him what you want him to do, ask him. When making rules, allow him to be a part of the process.
Make eye contact when providing instructions. Ask him to repeat what you’ve told them. Use short and simple sentences. Allow him to respond and ask questions. Don’t turn instructions into a lecture.
Another change teens experience often is related to their mood. Many of their mood swings are driven by the hormonal and developmental changes. In some cases, they may not have complete control over their emotions, or their reactions.
Extreme amounts of weight loss or weight gain. Ongoing sleep problems. Rapid, drastic and long-lasting changes in personality. Sudden change in close friends. Skipping school and falling grades. Any form of talk about suicide. Signs of smoking, or alcohol and drug abuse. Constantly getting in trouble at school, or with the police.
If you’re a girl who is a friend of a teenage boy, he might start to treat you differently. On one hand because he’s experiencing changes in his emotions (and hormones). And on the other hand because your physical appearance is changing. This change doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong, it is an unfortunate part of growing up. Teen boys can also become confused or unsure about their sexual orientation. He may need your help and support to figure out who he is.
The ability to read body language starts with the ability to observe. Practice reading body language by observing people in everyday settings like the mall, the bus or the coffee shop. [15] X Research source Some examples of body language to watch out for in your friend: If you see your friend walking the hallways at school with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched over, he’s probably feeling dejected. If your friend often plays with his hair or adjusts his clothes in some way, he’s probably nervous about something. If your friend is tapping or drumming his fingers against the table, or fidgeting a lot, he’s probably impatient about something. If your friend is talking to someone either with his arms crossed in front of him, or holding something in front of him, he’s being defensive.
Being empathetic includes being able to listen. It is difficult to understand how someone is feeling, if you don’t allow them to talk. When listening to your friend talk, think about how you would feel in the situation he’s describing. Chances are, if you would feel a certain way, so would he. Some examples of how to be empathetic to your friend: If your friend is telling you a story where he’s expressing a lot of different feelings, listen carefully and repeat back some of the things he’s telling you. It shows you’re listening and actually care about what he’s saying. If your friend is giving his opinion about something, listen without judgement. Then ask yourself why he might feel that way. Put yourself in his shoes before jumping in with your own opinion. If your friend had a particularly embarrassing experience that he doesn’t want to talk about, open up to him by telling him a story where you embarrassed yourself. Your friend will be more likely to share his own experiences if you’ve shared yours.
Reach out to your friend and ask him if he needs anything. If he doesn’t know what he needs, think about what you’d like in his situation and offer that. Show an interest in your friend and use your curiosity to ask questions and get to know him better. Be kind to your friend when you know he’s being teased or treated badly by others. Don’t become part of the gossip or teasing yourself.
Loyalty and friendship might be more than keeping their secrets, it may mean breaking their confidence in order to help them. [20] X Research source Loyalty may also mean telling your friend something he doesn’t want to hear, by being honest. The truth may hurt, but it may be what he needs.
The teenage boy you’re friends with may start to feel and act awkward. Other may attempt to pressure him into doing things he doesn’t want to do. As his friend, stand by him and support him through times like this.
If your friend is arguing with you and appears to be becoming aggressive, stay calm. [25] X Research source If an argument becomes too heated, and it doesn’t appear that your friend is going to calm down, walk away. Tell him you’ll continue the conversation in 30 minutes. Give him the opportunity to calm down before resuming the conversation. If your friend ever becomes violent, your safety comes first. Remove yourself from the situation if possible. If that’s not possible, and you fear for your safety, call 911.
Boys experience a chance to their voice box in their teenage years, which will eventually make their voices deeper. But their voices, while this process is happening, may sound weird to them. They may be uncomfortable having a conversation with you simply because they’re embarrassed about their voice. This may not be something you want to think about, but one of the major changes a boy goes through in puberty is to his penis. The increase in size to his penis and scrotum, and the increase in hormone levels, can result in a lot of unwanted erections. Simply having a dirty thought about a girl might cause one. Unfortunately the boys can’t always control this, which may make them very uncomfortable about you. Boys begin to demonstrate more mature social skills around the age of 17. Before this, they may still be somewhat immature and childish. Because girls mature faster, they may find boys somewhat annoying until their mental maturation catches up.
If the first date goes well, go on a second date, and so on. If the date doesn’t go well, that’s okay, maybe you weren’t meant for each other.
If these are the only reasons you can come up with as to why you want to date a boy, then it might not be a good idea to date him. You would just be using him in order to gain something for yourself, which isn’t fair to him.
You don’t have to date someone of equal intelligence. If you’re smarter than them, that’s okay. If they’re smarter than you, that’s okay. Don’t pretend to be dumb to make the boy feel better about himself - he’ll feel worse about himself when he finds out you’re only pretending.
Real love takes time and effort. And you will not end up in love with every guy you date. Love, in a relationship, involves attraction (physical chemistry), closeness (emotional connection) and commitment (dedication to each other). [27] X Research source
If you feel any of the items of a healthy relationship are missing between you and your boyfriend, talk to him about it. If you’re able to resolve the issue, that’s an excellent sign the relationship has staying power. If you’re unable to resolve the issue, it may be time to move on.
Any relationship has to meet the needs of both people involved. If your boyfriend isn’t meeting your needs, or you aren’t meeting your boyfriend’s needs, it’s time to move on. Breaking up isn’t fun, and you will likely feel horrible, but these feelings will eventually go away. Don’t sacrifice your long-term happiness for short-term bliss.
