When your teenager comes to you with a dream, support him even if you think it’s a silly, unrealistic dream. Whatever you do, don't say something like, "Let's be realistic here."
Teenagers are trying to figure out who they are and what they want in life. This is the time they need to be dreaming. If you automatically shoot those dreams down, you will do far more future damage than you ever intended. Shutting down dreams now, shuts down creativity and ingenuity in the future.
Support your teens dreams and aspirations first. You can talk about the reality after you’ve been supportive. But always start with support. Your teen will be much more receptive to reality and feel much more supported if you start with the validation first.
Comments
I think it is ok to infuse some reality as well ... but it is how you do it that matters. Something like, 'I can see this dream is really important to you' ... or just 'cool' as a starter sentence ... then help your teen brainstorm things to help him/her towards achieving the dream lets your child know you are being supportive
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