Parenting Teenagers

Someone once said that parenting teenagers is like “trying to nail jello to a tree”.  Let that image sink in for a moment as you take a deep breath from what may be an exhausting effort to parent a teenager. Parents of teens may face daily rebellious behavior, disrespectful or ungrateful attitude, irresponsible behavior, and a whole list of other phenomena that is all part of raising kids through the teenage years.

Recent studies on the teenage brain attemp to explain (but not excuse) why teens have a difficult time with problem solving and/or decision making. The part of the brain that handles these types of prcesses is way underdeveloped during the teenage years.  Parents will find it very helpful to understand what may be happening inside the teenage brain, to better understand the behaviors and attitudes of a teenager, and to plan healhy parenting strategies to deal with them.

Here’s information on why “96% of parents experience stress, frustration and confusion during a child’s teenage years.” Here solutions are offered as to specific steps a parent can take to start to turn things around and begin developing a more connected, down-to-earth, win-win relationship with a teen.