Does your once affectionate child now respond to you with one word answers and annoyed eye-rolling? Do you miss your little chatterbox’s endless questions about how things work, or monsters under the bed whilst waiting at the freshly slammed door to open up?!
First things first, take a deep breath mom and dad, and welcome to parenting a teenager! You make the rules, they break them. You ask questions, they ignore you, you say: “Do this.” They respond with: “Make me!” All too familiar, right?
They know how to push your buttons and instinctively come up with an arsenal of tools to get what they want and, on top of all that, have the ability to make you feel like the worst parent ever! They test every boundary, limit and rule; c’mon it’s their job!
Remember, being a teen is hard. They are faced with new emotions and confusion about how to be in this place that’s not quite childhood, but not yet adulthood either. The prefrontal cortex does not become fully developed until mid-twenties; therefore it is normal for teens to be irrational in their thought process and decision making.
So, how could you get them to listen, to be respectful? Discipline as we know it, backfires with teens. If you come down like a sledgehammer, you can count on open rebellion!
Here’s the thing, it is possible to have a healthy, trusting relationship with your teen during this notoriously challenging time, but you’re going to need a few tricks up your sleeve.
Very often being a good parent is having the courage to rethink your parenting style.
Remember, you’ve survived the 2am feedings and the toddler tantrums. You can do this. Hang in there!
Source: www.theguardian.com, www.denvercouselingoptions.com, www.quickanddirtytips.com, www.wikihow.com, www.psychologytoday.com, www.ahaparenting.com, www.risk-within-reason.com, www.webmd.com, www.imom.com, expertbeacon.com, kidshealth.org, www.understood.org, www.today.com
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional.