In our house, we tend to celebrate good times and triumphs with food. To be honest, I don’t want to be eating as many takeaways as I do, but if it brings the family together for some fun and connection then I’m going to take one for the team. Just last night I celebrated by ordering fish and chips for dinner to eat with my family. It was one of those rare occasions where we were all together at the same time. It might not sound like something to celebrate, but those of you with older teens will understand these dinners are few and far between.

Life is busy and we can’t always celebrate in the moment, but we can still acknowledge our teen’s achievement with a hug and by showing genuine interest and excitement about the news. Your undivided attention is usually what your teen wants anyway. Receiving praise from parents, bosses, teachers or other adults is encouraging and meaningful to our young people.

Celebrating success and important moments in life doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It can be as simple as displaying an award on the fridge or making a meal that they love. Little gifts like your teen’s favourite chocolate bar or nail polish are always appreciated. Celebrating is an opportunity to create family traditions too. When our kids were small we had ‘The Red Plate’. This coveted plate would only be brought out for those special times of celebration and honour.

When we create traditions and memories we remember the sensory elements which can take us back to that time. It might be the smell of certain foods or the scent of a candle. It could be the way the table was set with fancy glasses and a tablecloth or the surprise of finding a treat at the end of the bed. These special moments are safely stored away in our memory to enjoy for the rest of our lives.

Not only is celebrating fun it is also good for our brains. Our brains are wired to respond to rewards. When we celebrate ourselves and each other a cocktail of feel-good chemicals and endorphins are released and we feel fantastic. Those positive feelings will reinforce the achievement being celebrated and encourage your teen to keep working hard.

Another benefit of taking the time to celebrate our teens is the positive behaviour we are modelling to them. We can teach our kids from a young age to celebrate others and that life is not all about them. It can help our teens to be a little less self-centred and to be genuinely happy for their mate’s successes. But, the thing that makes my heart sing is that they learn to look after their well-being by celebrating themselves after a job well done. 

I am a big fan of microbreaks during the day. After I get through a chunk of work or a challenging job I reward myself with a cup of tea or a walk or even a game of Wordle. It gives me something to look forward to at the end of a task and gives me a short break before moving on to the next job. So when I heard one of my offspring say they were going to ‘treat themselves’ after working hard I was ecstatic!

It isn’t just the big things that need to be celebrated. All the little milestones and small successes along the way need some attention too. It’s all too easy for our teens to focus on a big goal only to finally reach it and move swiftly on to the next thing without taking the time to celebrate a job well done. Celebrating the little things that lead up to the goal will help your young person stay motivated.

And parents, celebrating and festivities aren’t just for our kids. An article from the Family and Children’s Centre says, “In today’s fast-paced world, it seems that as soon as people overcome one obstacle or achieve one goal, they’re onto the next. They lose their first five pounds and immediately shift their attention to the next 15 they want to lose. They clean their cluttered basements and move onto the garage.”

They go on to say, “In their focus on the future, people too often forget to relish the present. They get bogged down, feel more stress and experience more fatigue. They lose enthusiasm for their goals. Moreover, they forget to enjoy life. That’s why it’s important to celebrate your successes, large and small alike.”

So don’t rip yourself off or feel guilty. Take a moment to enjoy that cocktail of feel-good chemicals and pat yourself on the back for accomplishing something big or small.

Our teens are going through a tumultuous time of growing up which gives us plenty of reasons to celebrate them and show them some appreciation, love, and support. Celebrating strengthens relationships and injecting a little bit of fun into everyday life can help relieve stress. Your teen might not be the type of kid who is going to be on top of their academic or sporting game, and they may never bring home a trophy or an award. But I am certain that every young person has something about them that is worth celebrating.