Teens are exposed to a ton of life stressors, such as 

• Exams 
• Relationships 
• Career choices
• Peer pressure
• Fitting in at school
• Preparing for College or University
• Part-Time jobs
• Getting a driver’s license

Understandably, teenagers require emotional support from parents, teachers, and friends to get through each day. Here’s what you can do as a parent to ensure your teens’ emotional needs are met.  (more…)

Parenting is rewarding, but children can be frustrating whatever age they are. However, dealing with a toddler in full temper-tantrum mode is not the same as facing off against a moody teenager about to go full rage on you. 

Giving your puberty-stricken teenager a timeout, taking their ‘toys,’ or holding their ice cream hostage probably won’t work as well as it used to. Still, there are ways to navigate the chaos of living with an emotional teen. Here are three strategies that will help parents cope.

1. Respect Their Perspective

Imagine how you would feel if, during an argument, your spouse blurted out that your issues weren’t a big deal or you should just get over it? Comments like that are more likely to bring you closer to boiling point rather than resolve the conflict. It’s the same with your teenager. When they are moody because of issues or challenges they face, it’s a big deal to them.

2. Be a Good Role Model

You may not always notice, but teens are observing their parents and learning how to navigate the world through what they learn. If they start shouting, show them that responding to conflict through raised voices, threats, and nasty comments is inappropriate. Keep calm and show your teen how you deal with issues rather than tell them. If you use running as stress relief, don’t tell them to go for a run when they’re angry. Instead, you should say, “I’m going for a run to calm down.”  

3. Always Make Yourself Available

Your teenager will not always welcome you with open arms whenever you feel like having a conversation. Sometimes, their response may be downright hostile. However, regardless of their mood, your child should know with certainty that you will always be available when they need you. Remember, it’s not your teenager’s job to make you feel better. It is your role as a parent. 

Frustrated parents often find themselves at their wit’s end dealing with a teenager’s attitude that seems to defy all logic. 

The most critical thing to keep in mind is that a teenager’s attitude rarely has anything to do with their parents. They are experiencing massive changes which can make them feel confined and powerless.  (more…)

Just about all parents of teenagers will be forced to deal with a heavy heart as they deal with a teenager who seems to want nothing to do with them.  

Distancing themselves from their parents is common in teens with a growing desire for independence. While you can take some heart in the fact that your teen is growing into an adult who is learning to stand on their own two feet, separation anxiety can take an emotional toll.

Here are a few tips to help you deal with the growing distance in the relationship with your teenager.  (more…)

Three little words, “I hate you,” are often uttered so easily by teenagers yet have the capacity to fill a parent’s heart with dread like no others. It’s enough to make struggling parents wonder how they got this parenting gig so wrong. (more…)