Teen years are unpredictable and difficult to deal with. Rebellious behaviour, growth spurts, hormones and so many different changes happen at the same time. As your child grows into adolescence, you need to adapt your parenting skills for a teenager. Teens crave the security of knowing their parents understand them, appreciate them and can be their friend. Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Psychologist Tripti Choudhary Vaid shares insights into handling delicate issues, and tips on how to create a strong bond with your teenage child.
Parenting teenagers require a different approach than parenting children. Adolescence is a confusing period because teens are in between being an adult and a child. Parents expect them to act ‘older’ but treat them like children. This is where the conflict arises.
Adolescence is characterised by many changes in individuals. Predominantly, hormonal changes which could cause a lot of emotional upheaval. This is also an important period of developing an identity for oneself. It is a time when the peer group becomes more important. Therefore, teenagers may value their opinions more, want to hang out with them more, want to experiment with different things and also experience risky behaviours.
Teenage years are that of experimentation. Sometimes this experimentation may not be acceptable to adults and may cause conflict. Teenage rebellion is just another way of communication. When a teen rebels, try and understand what is he/she really trying to communicate. It is important to discuss things rather than simply instruct them to follow it.
Simply dismissing your teen’s friends as toxic may not be the right approach. Also, the opinion of a friend being toxic is the parents perspective of that friend. It is not so for the teen. Therefore, if a parent feels that a particular friend is not a good influence for their teen then they should discuss it with their teen. They should ask what’s keeping their friendship going rather than judging.