Adolescence is the time in a child’s life where he/she is changing both physically and mentally, while trying to find his/her footing in society. Parents often find themselves on the other end of a never ending battle looking forward to finding an end to this tug of war.
Love/Hate
It seems like yesterday when your child tells you she loves you, wants to be around you, and tells you that you are the greatest. Then overnight, this same child rolls her eyes at anything you say, has a snide comment for everything, and completely disregards everything you say.
This treatment is hurtful to the parent, but understand that separation from parent and seeking individuality is a normal part of adolescence. Remember that the roller coaster ride that you are one is exactly what your teen is feeling.
The best approach to resolving the problem is remaining calm, enforce basic behavior standards, and just let your teen know that you are around when they need you. Your actions now, set the way things will continue as your child progresses through the teen years.
Testing Limits
Teens love to test a parent’s limit. You set a rule and they work hard to break it. Understand that teens need limits and that you as the parent need to keep setting them.
Talk to other parents of teens to find out what rules they have in place in regards to curfew, chores, after school activities, and bedtime to determine if yours are unreasonable. A bit of adjustment to the rules now can save you hours of conflict and upset later.
The best approach to this problem is to set a rule, be firm on the consequences, and don’t give in. Teens need to know that if they do not follow the rules, there are punishable consequences, and you will be firm on enforcing them.
