6 keys to understanding and dealing with a teenage child

Knowing how to deal with a teenage daughter or son strengthens family relationships.

Adolescence is a time of change and sometimes rebellion, so it can be difficult for a parent to manage the relationship with a child of this age. In this vital period, adolescents may experience hormonal changes, situations of identity search and frustrations that may determine their behavior and relationship with their loved ones.

The relationship with parents, due to their closeness and their attempt to control their behavior, can provoke complex situations and conflicts of great intensity. Largely because adolescents want to be more independent and live life their own way.

Many parents go through delicate situations when dealing with their children. In this article, I propose some tips for understanding them and dealing with your teenager.

Adolescence is a complicated stage

Adolescence is a difficult stage and many parents can become overwhelmed.. We have all been teenagers, and we know how the relationship with our parents can become strained during this stage. It is at this time when people begin to explore new horizons and understand that there is a world waiting outside the family. An adolescent is more sensitive to the events that are happening away from the nuclear family, which prepares them for later stages and for adult life.

This stage is key to achieve sufficient confidence, a strong personality, and to be a successful adult in different areas of life, and in these years one learns to gain acceptance from others, especially those of the same age. It is no longer enough for the family to accept and support their children, and those parents who understand this change will help the child grow up healthier, will help the child grow up to be psychologically healthier and more prepared to face the challenges and be more prepared to face the challenges that life may demand in the future.

Tips for understanding and dealing with a teenager

Being a parent of a teenager can have arduous moments, and conflicts can appear at any time. That's why you need to know how to manage the situation effectively. However, first of all, it is essential to be empathetic and understand the behavior of our teenagers. How to do it? By following the tips below.

1. Be willing to understand

It's easy to get carried away and get into conflict when a child seems to be going his or her own way. But interpersonal relationships with children of this age are complicated for a number of reasons. It's not a matter of giving in to a child's whims, but understanding the situation as it is will help you to better manage conflict and make wise decisions..

So, make an effort to adopt the son or daughter's perspective, and take into account all the elements that are influencing his or her way of living life and valuing his or her own happiness and concerns.

2. Think back to when you were a teenager

Along the lines of the previous point, remember what you were like as a teenager. To understand your son, it's good to put yourself in his shoes and think about yourself at his age. Maybe you weren't the same, but you weren't perfect either. The need for independence, the desire to exploreThe need for independence, the search for identity... are characteristic behaviors of this age that can generate family conflicts.

3. Respect their needs

It is easy to think that, just because you are a parent, you can adopt an authoritarian position over your child. However, it is always better to listen to their needs and reach agreements.

In this way, you can know where the limits are and allow them certain levels of independence without them having to go beyond them. This alternative is much better than using dominance, which introduces an additional obstacle in the relationship and makes it difficult to communicate effectively.

4. Let him make his own mistakes

Experience can be a good way to learn, because the impact it has on us can have a positive impact on us if we know how to analyze the situation and develop resources to avoid making mistakes again. Don't be an overly protective parent. As far as possible, and as long as there is no great risk as long as there is no great risk to your child, let him or her experiment..

5. Communicate with him or her

One of the biggest mistakes parents can make is to adopt a position of superiority and domination over their children. Because, as in any interpersonal relationship, communication is always more effective. If your child feels respected, loved, and communication flows, he/she will find in you the support he/she needs to grow as a person.

6. Active listening

This point is closely related to the previous one, and because it improves communication. It's not about hearing what you say, it's about listening to you in both your verbal and nonverbal language. If you remember your time as a teenager, you know it wasn't easy. Now is the time to be there for your child.. After all, one of the reasons why many teenage sons and daughters look down on the possibility of talking to their parents is that the latter supposedly do not understand them, and not listening actively confirms this prejudice.

How to behave in front of a rebellious teenager?

Some parents, those with rebellious children, can have a really hard time with how their child behaves. They are questioning, angry youngsterswho often do not respect the rules and who may come to see parents as the enemy.

Many parents in this situation do not know how to react and what to do in the daily situations they face. Although they are not to blame, they can find themselves in complex and painful contexts. It is not easy to manage this situation.

If you feel identified with these lines, in the article "Rebellious teenagers: 6 tips and reflections for parents in trouble" you can learn more about how to deal with this situation.