Learn to use what they are using: as a parent of a teen, one of your main responsibilities is to do what you can to understand what is going on in your teen's life. It is never easy to submerse yourself in another culture, but in order to properly raise your teen and protect them from themselves, it is advisable to learn to use things like Facebook, MySpace, texting, Skype, and other forms of communication. If you do not know the uses, or understand how they work, how can you protect your teen from improper use. Create your own accounts, and make sure they add you as a friend or allow you access to their accounts, etc. so that you can monitor their use. You can talk to them about the things they can and should not post, the types of pictures they should post, and what things to avoid doing.

Monitor their communication, and learn to read their meanings not just their words: As a parent, staying up with the times, and knowing what certain things mean is an important part of protecting and raising your child. If your child gets a text that looks like this: "@:(, u? " do you know what it means? It means, "I have a hangover, do you?" Monitoring their communication is not enough, you have to learn how to read the message not just the words on the screen. Teens have developed a way to communicate that often eludes their parents; learning to decipher communication can help you learn what your teen is into, and what you should be doing to help them live a better life.

Talk to your teen regularly, and have family dinners, or other times spent together: If you want to parent a teen the best thing you can do is be there for them, and stay in tune with their life by having regular time with them. One of the best ways to do this is by holding family dinner each night where you can discuss their day, and see their moods, attitudes, and feelings. Teens are not always good at hiding emotions, especially if you are an observant parent. So, be one, this way you can detect problems before they escalate and become big problems.

Your teen is going to hate your sometimes, and may love you at others. The best way to parent a teen is with love and rules. Be stern and hold to your guns, but remind them regularly that you love them, and want what is best for them. Guide, but do not dictate, otherwise you will have a rebellion on your hands.