Solid Advice For Parents Of Teens
When a child becomes a teenager, their attitudes may make a turn for the worst. This is not a simple thing for a parent to deal with, but you will have to be strong at this time. There are several things you can do to make things a bit less stressful, and you will learn more about them in this article.
Never take things personally. This is not easy to do, especially considering the fact that you have feelings too. You should never allow all of the things your child says to upset you. They are going through a rough time dealing with hormones and the teenage world, so they may not mean the things they say. Even if things get you down, never display that in front of them. It is important that you remain strong when they are around.
Stay calm, even when your child is acting out. Yelling and screaming at them is not going to make things any easier. All it will do is throw more gasoline on the fire. Try explaining to your child that you understand what they are going through, but that they need to calm down. Let them know that you are there to listen to whatever they have to say, and you cannot hear them if they are being loud and belligerent.
Be firm with your child and let them know that you are the parent and they need to respect that. Make it clear that they are allowed to express their views, but they must do it in a manner and tone that take your parentage into consideration. If they are completely out of hand, it may be necessary for you to give them some type of punishment. Even if you don't want to, you have to remind them that you are the one that is in charge.
Never threaten your child with punishment if you are not going to follow through. This will undermine you and make teens believe that they do not have to listen to you. Even if they give you an excuse with a puppy dog face, ignore it and stand your ground. They may be upset with you, but do not let that stop you from giving them the punishment they deserve. After a while they will stop the behaviors, because they will see that you are not playing with them.
It is very important for you to listen to everything your teen has to say. Even if you do not agree with them, give them the floor and hear them out. If your child feels like they are not being heard, they may start to behave badly. A lot of children seek out negative attention, because to them it is better than not getting attention at all.
Whenever your teen starts to misbehave, remember that you were there once. Let them know that you understand that they are going through things, but there are better ways to handle it. They may give you some resistance, but stay strong and use the tips given to you here.
