Home to Hangout

6 Steps to a Teen-friendly Home

By Tamekia Reece

Having loads of teens lounging on your couch and raiding the fridge may not sound like a dream come true, but for many parents, it's an ongoing wish. If the teens are hanging out at your place, you don't have to wonder where they are or what they're up to. Sounds good, doesn't it?

If you'd like to reap the benefits of having your teen chill at home under your watchful eye, keep reading. Here are 6 steps to help you transform your home into the spot where all the local teens will want to hang out.

"The No. 1 way to find out how to make your home teen-friendly is to ask your teen," says Erin Brown Conroy, author of 20 Secrets to Success with Your Child (Celtic Cross Publishing, 2003). "Sit down together and make a list of fun activities that fall within your family's guidelines for good, clean fun."

Be prepared to hear some crazy ideas. Instead of lecturing, laugh those comments off and join in the fun.

Jessica, a 15-year-old Dallas teen, says food determines where she and her friends hang out. "If there's no food there, we're not there," she says, laughing.

Susan Isaacs Kohl, author of The Best Things Parents Do (Conari Press, 2004), says it's a good idea to ask teens what sort of foods they want. After hearing chips, pizza, soft drinks and more pizza, you should then throw in some nutritional common sense and stock up on healthy snacks, too. Remember that healthy doesn't have to be boring. Pizza can get a nutritional kick even if you only drop the pepperoni and add extra cheese. You might even try to get a bit more daring and add a few veggies to the pie.

Want to see more?

• Failure to Launch: The Top 4 Factors Some Kids Don't Leave the Nest
• Hanging Out: What Do Teens Really Do in Their Spare Time?
• Dating 101: Pre-dating Rituals for Young Teens
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!