Molly Shannon says that parents need to change the way they think about raising teenagers

• Molly Shannon shares her tips for raising teenagers on Today with Hoda and Jenna.

• The actor-comedian’s two children are currently in college.

• Parenting teenagers can be challenging, but the right approach can lay the foundation for a strong relationship.

Molly Shannon has advice for parents dreading the day their children turn into teenagers.

In an interview on “Today with Hoda and JennaThe actor said on Tuesday that parents should treat their teenagers as “normal people”.

“Don’t believe what people say, ‘Oh, teenagers,’ because it’s almost like people can do it,” said Shannon, whose daughter Stella, 20, and son Nolan, 19, are in college. .

“You don’t have to think it’s going to be bad,” she said. “That’s great!”

And if parents are constantly fighting with their teenagers, they should think about parenting, said 60-year-old Shannon.

“I would think, how can I become better? How can I display protection or something? I would like to work on myself,” she said. “I always read psychological self-help books – almost like a lesson. I’m interested in it and I like to learn.”

When asked how she raises adult children, “Saturday Night Live” alum said it’s important to start with empathy.

“For the most part, they just want to be heard. I’m trying to think about it. And yes, you could share a parallel story or, I don’t know, I’m not an expert, but I love being a mom because I lost my mom,” said Shannon, who lost her mom in a car accident when she was younger.

A representative for Shannon did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s after-hours request for comment.

Raising teenagers is not always easy

Education of teenagers can be difficult. However, the right approach can lay the foundation for a strong relationship between parents and children.

2022 study pennsylvaniapublished in Developmental Psychology, found that teens who experienced more parental warmth in early adolescence were closer to their parents when they reached their 20s. The researchers surveyed 1,631 participants from Pennsylvania and Iowa who completed the survey as a teenager and again at age 22.

Allison Tenneywhose daughters are 12 and 13, said she maintained a healthy relationship with them, identity outside the mother and prefer to apologize when she makes a mistake.

She added that when her kids show an attitude, she brings them a snack. “There are so many little things that can go into getting one of them in the mood, but usually they’re just hungry.”

Similarly, Trisha Daab, a mother of five, previously wrote for BI that she has advice for parents of teenagers connect through music or food and show interest in what they like.

“I had days when I felt like I had nothing to do with my child. Or we’re both having an off day and all we do is upset each other,” she wrote.

“There will be days like that, and that’s normal. Even when they’re totally annoying, always tell them you love them.”

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