While parenting a teenager and getting them to obey rules may seem challenging and overwhelming for most parents, using certain strategies may help parents reinforce their rules while maintaining a healthy relationship with their child.
What to do when your teenager seems to loathe you
Most parents feel hurt when their teen shout back and rolls their eyes in disrespect. Nadine Kaslow, a psychologist specializing in kids and families at Atlanta’s Emory University believes that a major part of adolescence consists of separating and individuating, and therefore many kids feel the need to reject their parents in order to find their own identity. Furthermore, Dr. Stuart Goldman, director of psychiatric education at Boston’s Children's Hospital believes parents need to remember that their children need them, and no matter how harsh their comments seem to be, or how stubborn they are, they still want their parents around and by letting their teenager know that they will always be there for them, they will allow their teens to let their guard down and confide in them.
Limiting modern communication devices in the household
Teens spend a great portion of their time texting, chatting and talking on the phone and consider modern communication the best way to keep in touch with their friends. It is crucial that parents don’t ban them from using the internet, phone and other gadgets but rather set reasonable limits such as turning off their cell phones during dinner and not using the computer one hour prior to bedtime.
Setting curfews for teens
Most teenagers will defy their curfews in order to test their parents’ limits. Goldman believes that parents should do some research and set reasonable curfews while allowing a 10 minute grace period. If teens continuously stay out past their curfew, stricter curfews should be reinforced and a family discussion should be held in order to determine where the teens are spending their time, and who they are spending it with.
Monitoring a teenagers social interactions
Bad friends can deeply influence a teen and effect the way he/she behaves both in school and out of school. Parents should closely monitor their child social interactions and make habits of getting to know their teen’s circle of close knit friends as this circle changes frequently. Parents shouldn’t hesitate to show disapproval of their teens friends if they have reason to believe the friend is a negative influence on their teen. Furthermore, parents can seek family therapy if they are unable to convince their children of their bad decisions.
Dealing with teenage drama
While dealing with dramatic teenage situations can be overbearing, New York adolescent psychologist Susan Bartell advises parents not to offer excessive advice or suggest that “one day they will see how immature and silly they really were”. Bartell says parents should "Just listen and sympathize and put themselves in their teen’s shoes, because after all, they were once there themselves”.
When all else fails and substance abuse is involved
Teenagers who are troubled are often confused and frightened. The defiance, anger, and rebelliousness reflect their confusion and fear. The first step in saving a child from a self-destructive path of academic failure, dangerous drug and alcohol experimentation, and even brushes with police is to realize you teen needs professional help.
Inspirations Teen Rehab Residential treatment programs such as our teen behavior therapeutic programs along with our educational program are designed to take teens of the immediate environment where peer pressure and other negative influences might interfere with the therapeutic process. Many of the teens who come to Inspirations Teen Rehab have the primary need of individualized attention, and professional intervention offered by our behavioral therapeutical treatment programs.
For more information contact us at: 1-888-757-6237
