As a parent, you need to brace yourself for your child’s shy and awkward teenage years when they become rebellious and seem to have a never-ending list of problems. It’s not uncommon for teenagers and tweens to rebel at a certain point. This is why you’ll have to be patient.
Are teens today more rebellious than earlier generations? Teenagers today face more societal and academic pressure than ever. Let’s take a deeper look at why teens rebel and how you can manage a rebellious teenager’s mood swings.
Why Do Teenagers Become Rebellious?
There’s a science behind your teen’s moody tantrums. During the teenage years, your child’s brain is developing, especially the prefrontal cortex region.
When children are younger, they don’t seem to see any flaws in the world around them or their parents. In their teenage years, they start to look at the world more realistically and develop their idea of things around them.
As their logical skills are sharpening, they practice it on the parents – your teen is arguing just for the sake of argument!
Today’s kids also face a lot of peer pressure early on in life. The pressure to experiment with drugs, drinking, and even sex is now coming at an earlier age than it used to.
How Can You Manage Teen Rebellion?
While your child is an independent person and they’re allowed to feel the way that they do, it can be quite difficult for the parents to manage this behavior.
Here are some ways to can manage these conflicts with your teen.
Keep Your Emotions in Check
While this may seem hard, try to control your emotions when your child is acting rebellious. This is because you don’t want to set a negative tone for all your future interactions.
This will also help you model the right way to express feelings.
Don’t Dictate
The next thing to remember is to not become a dictator. It’s normal for parents to handle their child’s major life decisions and choices, but that won’t last forever. Research shows that children raised by democratic parents, instead of authoritative ones, are more adjusted and competent in their teenage years.
Set Clear Boundaries
Teenagers often push their parent’s boundaries to see how far they can push before facing the consequences. You can create clear boundaries and convey them to your teen. If there are certain house rules that you’re strict about, revisit them with your kid. Open communication is very important, especially between parents and children. This will encourage your child to be more respectful of your boundaries.
Want more expert tips to motivate your teenager? Get in touch with youth motivational speaker Jesse LeBeau.
Jesse is a leading teen mentor and youth motivational coach who is committed to helping teenagers achieve inner confidence and reach their goals.
Get in touch with us today to learn more.
