Every January 16th, National Good Teen Day is a holiday that aims to focus parents’ attention on what their teen sons or daughters have been doing right, rather than what they have been doing wrong. As parents, many of us tend to focus on catching and disciplining our teens for their bad behavior instead of recognizing their positive behavior.

It has been said that parents should always look for opportunities to tell their children they are doing a good job or that they are proud of them. This holiday reminds us all of that simple fact. Let’s all take the time to tell teens how they’re succeeding and not always focus on the things they’re doing wrong.

The History of National Good Teen Day

This holiday was created in 1993 when the U.S. Congress and the President of the United States declared January 16th as National Good Teen Day. This holiday was based on Good Teen Day, a holiday that was created by Salem City Schools in Salem, Ohio, on January 16th, 1992.

After the official proclamations by both the Legislative and Executive branches of the U.S., the national version of this holiday was codified into law when the U.S. Congress passed Public Law 103-463 on November 2nd, 1994.

Some Important Facts About Teens

Now that we all understand the importance of National Good Teen Day, we would like to pivot and talk about some of the things that we have learned about teens over the course of our research. We hope that the following tidbits of information will give people a better look into the teenage brain and help parents understand their teens’ motives.

• The brains of teenagers are hardwired to take risks.
• Teenagers are more prone to becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol than adults.
• Teenagers have underdeveloped frontal lobes, so they are more likely to perceive their parents as being hostile toward them, even when they are not.
• It’s natural for teenagers to fall asleep late and wake up late in the morning.

Observing National Good Teen Day

All that people have to do to observe this holiday is to make sure to let teens know when they’re doing something right. Maybe give them a little bit of praise for keeping their grades up or completing their chores on time.

After all, being critical of your teens all the time can result in them simply tuning you out. Besides, giving them positive messages will help encourage them and help them stay on the right path. While people are celebrating this holiday, they should use the hashtag #NationalGoodTeenDay on social media.