Do's and Don'ts of Understanding Teens and Rap

Overnight your child becomes a moody teen! These do’s and don’ts will help you connect with your teenager and you’ll learn how to rap.

• Do cast your mind back to when you were a teenager and it will be easier to get why your teen is often such a moody presence in your home.
• Don’t take the sulks and slamming doors personally – hard as this may be.
• Do keep in touch with your teen’s social life and welcome your teenagers’ friends back home.
• Don’t hang around for long after the first ‘hi’ but also do not accept any anti-social behaviour in your home.
• Do make time for your teens and invite them into your adult world by including them in activities, outings and conversations.
• Don’t make fun of their views or tastes in music and fashion. This will just increase their sullen attitude and cause more alienation.

One sure direct line it your teenager’s heart is tapping. Today it seems like nearly every hit song has a rap section. Surprise your teenager by doing your own rap when you’re giving them chores to do or even laying down the law and encourage them to share their own. All you need to do is improvise rhymes to a beat and think on your feet. See – there you go!

Do learn the lingo. Rap celebrates street slang so learn a few phrases to impress your teen no end.

Don’t ever end you words with ‘ing’ but ‘in’!

Do build a stock of rhyming words, and words with similar sounds or endings as you can draw on these when you rap.

Don’t repeat the same words too much as rap is abut creativity.

Do work out a story. Know before you begin what you want to say.

Don’t get too hung up on rhyming too much at the start. Get the hang of improvising to a rhythm.

Once you have mastered these tips, start to introduce rhyme and don’t worry if you make mistakes. This is the way we learn and a slip can even lead to a new direction in the rap. Prepare a few lines in your head for the next part of your rap so you’re never caught out.

There are loads of ways to connect with a teen who seems intent on shutting you out including a good, fun rap session. Follow these do’s and don’ts and you’ll open up a new way to understand your teenager.