Adolescents - Parenting | Marriage & Family
Adolescence can be a confusing time for teens and parents. These years can be difficult, but there's many things that parents can do to nurture their teen and encourage responsible behavior. One of the most important parenting skills needed for raising healthy adolescents involves positive attention. Spending time with your teen and reminding them that you care is crucial. As a parent of an adolescent it is important that you listen to your teen when they speak and respect their feelings. Also, keep in mind that reprimanding your teen and never giving them any justified praise can cause them to feel demoralized. When a teen feels demoralized they may act out. For every time you discipline or correct your teen, try to compliment them as well.
Don't pressure your teen to be like you were or wish you had been at their age. Parents must give their teens some leeway when it comes to clothing and hairstyles, and understand that it's natural for teens to rebel and express themselves in ways that differ from those of their parent's. Parents can still maintain high expectations for their teen and the kind of person he or she will become, but allowing teens with some degree of self-expression is important.
Forming Independence
As teens mature, they start to think more abstractly and rationally. At this stage of their life they're forming their moral code, and parents of teens may find that kids who previously had been willing to conform to please them will suddenly begin asserting themselves and their opinions strongly and rebelling against parental control. It is important for parents of adolescents to understand that the primary goal of the teen years is to achieve independence. For this to occur, teens will start pulling away from their parents.
Parenting an adolescent is no easy task. Our professionals at Therapy Insider dedicate their time to helping teens and the families of these teens that may be struggling with the years of adolescence.