children become teenagers, they’ll come across problems they need to sort out themselves. You won’t always be there to give your child advice, but you can help him develop problem-solving skills and strategies that he can use on his own.
Why problem-solving skills are important
Problem-solving: six steps
When conflict is the problem
Why problem-solving skills are important
Everybody needs to solve problems every day. But we’re not born with the skills we need to do this – we have to develop them.
When solving problems, it’s good to be able to:
listen and think calmly
consider options and respect other people’s opinions and needs
find constructive solutions, and sometimes work towards compromises.
These abilities are highly valued in both social and work situations – they’re skills for life.
When teenagers learn skills and strategies for problem-solving and sorting out conflicts by themselves, they feel better about themselves. They’re more independent and better placed to make good decisions on their own.
Problem-solving: six steps
Often you can solve problems by talking and compromising.
The following six steps for problem-solving are useful when you can’t find a solution. You can use them to work on most problems – both yours and your child’s.
You might like to download and use our problem-solving worksheet (PDF: 121kb) – it can help you come up with a solution together by guiding you through the process step by step.