Teen Behavior

When Your Teen Is Driving You Crazy

It happens to all parents at one point in their parenting career - your child or teen who is a great kid and has no real problems - starts to do things that after time wear down your patience. If your teen is suddenly driving you crazy - there is something that you can do.

1. If a specific behavior is driving you crazy, put some limits on the behavior. For example, if you must disagree - don't yell, if you must play acid rock - play it at a lower volume.

2. When you're feeling stressed out, take time out. Do something you enjoy as an individual or as a couple. Rediscover an interest of your own. Exercise, even if this means getting up an hour earlier in the morning.

3. Make use of a support system of other parents, either an informal network of friends or a formal parental support group. Share parenting tips and strategies and boost each other's spirits in the process.

4. Finally, keep your sense of humor. Sometimes the only and the best thing you can do when you have a teen is to laugh - and to persevere.

Why Teens Are So Critical

Your child once thought that you hung the moon and the stars - you were perfect and you were their hero. Now your child as a teenager has little praise to give you and lots to criticize about.

It is important for you as parents to understand why this is. One of the main goals of adolescence is the gaining of a feeling of independence on the part of your teen. IN order for your teen to feel more independent they must separate themselves from their parents - those people that they have been most dependant on all their lives. The create this independence they form opinions and ideas that are not the same as yours. Also, they may view you in a more human and less favorable light in order to make this self separation they are going through less overwhelming and upsetting for them.

Understanding this process is the first step to getting through it. Also, as a parent you should give your teen the freedom to voice their opinions (in a non abusive way). As your teen becomes more independent and confident in their independence they will begin to be able to hold the same values as you and agree with you.