Teaching Teenage Boys? 10 Essential Tips for Adjusting Your Approach

Overview: Teaching teenage boys? Discover 10 essential tips to adjust your approach and create a positive learning experience for both you and your son. Make homeschooling enjoyable and effective!

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My oldest son is only a few months away from turning 18. He has been driving himself and his brother to basketball practice and to youth group events for the last few years. And he is a responsible driver! So much so that we’ve also been trusting him to give his friends rides to gatherings as well.

It has been mind-blowing to see the amount of maturity this son has gained from this one act alone. I’m still trying to figure out how my son got so old so fast!

If you have teenage boys, you have probably noticed that your tried-and-true homeschooling methods aren’t working as well for them anymore. Once our boys reach the tween or teen ages, you’ll occasionally find that the son who once used to look up at you with adoring eyes will now look at you with less enthusiasm and will suddenly question you way more often than you would like.

As our sons approach adulthood, there is often a battle of the wills between them and their parents. This is especially hard on moms who are homeschooling because we tend to receive the brunt of it.

We’re home with them all day long and we’re attempting to teach our boys. Our sons, however, are beginning to see our lessons as lectures and our suggestions as bossing them around.

What’s Going On?

Our boys will become men and they are desperate to be seen and treated like men during these critical years. So, what is a mom to do? How can we best homeschool our teenage boys?

Here are 10 Essential Tips for Adjusting Your Approach when Teaching Teenage Boys:

1 – Ask Him What He Needs

Talk to your son. Does he feel there are any changes that need to be made in your homeschool? Does he have any suggestions? Listening to your son’s thoughts and opinions is key.

By the way, if your son has a hard time expressing himself verbally, take him for a ride in the car. Boys have an easier time opening up when they are sitting side-by-side rather than when we are looking them in the eye.

2 – Hand Over the Reigns

Let him have some control over his life. As your son gets older and shows himself to be responsible, you need to give him more and more control. You may find, as we have, that giving your son a list of weekly tasks and letting him manage his own time will do wonders for his attitude.

3 – Stop Waking Him Up

Teenagers need a lot more sleep than you might think. Allow your son to sleep in later than you have been, and you are bound to see positive changes in his demeanor.

4 – Get Dad Involved

As your son enters his teen years, it will be harder and harder for him to take orders from mom. When you start to feel resistance from your son, and it isn’t wise for you to back down, then get your husband involved.

Sometimes dads can explain things in ways that are more palatable for your son to hear. Sometimes they need to lay down the law.

5 – Real Life Learning

It’s important to give our teenage sons experience in the real world. Encourage them to hold a part-time job. Find them a mentor from your church. help them find internships or volunteer opportunities.

Boys learn so much more from these types of experiences than they ever will through book learning!

6 – Physical Activity is Key

Give your son plenty of opportunities to burn off his extra energy. Team sports are one way to do this. Throwing the football around the backyard with dad is another way.

Challenge your son to set fitness goals. Many boys thrive when being pushed in this area by a coach or other adult they look up to.

7 – Let Him Explore His Interests and Talents

Rather than teaching your son all the same subjects that he would get in school, tailor his education more to his unique needs. Let him study electives that he will enjoy and that will challenge him.

Allow him to learn in ways that work best for him. Give him lots of opportunities to try new things.

→ Related Content: 8 Ways to Keep Learning Fun for Teens and Tweens

8 – Show Him Respect

If we want our sons to show us respect, then we need to model that behavior for them. Boys crave respect as much as their fathers do. This is the top way to develop a good relationship with your teenage son!

9 – Treat Him Like a Man

Whenever possible, start treating your son the way you would treat your husband. Give him hard things to do and ask him to help you.

Don’t assume that he needs your help or wants your advice. And tell him what you want him to do. Don’t make him try to guess!

10 – Relax

Us moms can have a tendency to get worked up over things. We can sometimes see situations as more urgent or important than they really are. And we worry too much.

Our sons greatly appreciate it when we remain calm and let the little things go.

Allow this difficult time to drive you to your knees in prayer and God will give you the strength and wisdom you need to homeschool and parent your son.  

The teenage years are a HUGE time of transition for our kids AND for us parents. Do you remember what you were like as a teenager? Do you recall the things your parents used to do that frustrated you?

Try to have some empathy for your teens and keep in mind all the hormones that they are still learning to deal with. As your child gets older and sees the effort that you are making in the relationship, he will eventually come around.

Give him the time and grace that he needs to mature.

Question: Do you have any other advice you would give for either parenting or homeschooling teenage boys? Have you successfully homeschooled a teenage son or are you still in the trenches? Please leave a comment below.