Parenting Adolescents!!!

                                  
                           Each one of us has been through our adolescent phase and each of our parents has dreaded us reaching this phase. It is in today’s generation that adolescence is worse in teenagers. Adolescence is a period of rapid active growth and development of physical, sexual, social and emotional level. As we all know almost every teenager and parents are known to have problems in understanding and communicating with each other. This young sweet child of yours who was cheerful and obedient suddenly became an adolescent with temper tantrums and rebellious. This article focuses on common concerns and changes in behavior of your child.

                         As your teenager grows into a healthy adult he/she must develop many strengths like positive self-image, independence, knowledge, curiosity and will to learn new things, obeying the law, respecting their sexual partner and their choices, spiritual choices, maintaining a good and healthy lifestyle. For many people these strengths are acquired during by their early 20s, during this time your role as parents changes from providing care and security to providing guidance. Your teenager still needs your guidance and support so that they can discuss their problems and fears; they also need to have rules about everything. It is during this phase that they learn about the consequences of their choices. When you as a parent fail to change from a controlling and protecting parent to one who discusses and does joint planning, this is where small issues become a big concern. You cannot descipline your children the way your parents disciplined you, each generation is different and you have to change with time.

            Every teenager lies whether it is to avoid revealing any personal information or to avoid punishment or confrontation. A very commonly used term” peer pressure” is used by everyone today, this is because your child like everyone else’s is surrounded by their friends from school or society or tuitions. It is your duty to try and make your child realize who he should be friends with or let him realize the hard way. Then there are argumentative teens who are the most difficult to handle. Moodiness is very common and universal among every teen. It is during this time that parents and teens get into raging arguments about respect and attitude problems. Teens do not realize how their behavior affects their families. If you as parents argue or fight constantly with your partner that is what your child will pick up and follow your footsteps. Here is what the best thing to do if you are a parent of an argumentative teen, remain calm, be approachable, take time to talk to your teen and figure out a way that they always communicate with you. 

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