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Teen behavioral disorders: 5 most noticed

Teen behavioral disorders

Parenting a teenager was, is and going to be a really tough task. It will only get tougher with changing times, advancing technology and intelligence. However, most often, until your own child grows into a teenager, you may feel that your family is immune to the problems. But once the teen begins to butt heads with the parents, you seem all lost. Since adolescence is a time of rapid change, you should be ready for it and take it calmly.

Ask any parent about the problems and you will end up with a variegated list. However, some of the commonly faced problems are tackled below.

1. Gadgets interest your teen more than anything else

The latest technological developments in cell phones and communication devices seem to cut away the teen increasingly from actual, face-to-face communication. Forbidding the usage of such devices is not only unrealistic, it is also unkind. How does one deal with this?

The solution

The growth and proliferation of technology is something that has to be accepted by all. There is no choice. And so, if the mobile gadgets are not negatively impacting your teen’s schoolwork, housework, social life or family life, then you better just accept it as a part of your life. You could also set some limits like not using the phone during dining sessions or one hour before bedtime. If you are worried about the general usage, you could link the phone bills to the pocket money of the teen. Also, being a parent gives you the right to have software that monitors the various websites being visited, to ensure that they are not questionable.

2. Your teen positively hates you

The child that needed you for everything and sought your help for everything, suddenly goes cold and indifferent. The teen starts treating you like dirt and sneers at your suggestions and ideas. The focus and importance is more on friends than the family. You feel taken for granted.

The solution

Understand that the teen is going through one of the phases of growth. Do not retaliate and return the rejection. Know that the roller coaster that the teen has put you on, is the same one he/she is riding internally. Let the teenager know that you are there for him/her. At the same time, teach social manners firmly. It is not okay to vent frustration or anger publicly both for you and for the teen. Be supportive and help the teen out of this dependence-independence struggle phase which should usually pass by the time the teen is 17-18 years old.

3. Staying out late is the coolest thing for your teen to do

Late night limits are often the most flouted ones. The teenage years are rebellious ones in which the teens want to test the limits. But they also need the limits in either sense- to keep them in check and to give them the thrill of breaking it.

The solution

The first thing you must do as responsible parents is to see if the time limits are too stringent and strict. Always give a grace period for the teens and do not be strict on the exact limit. Also, be ready to excuse the lapses once in a while. But, if you notice that the teen is up to no good and is becoming a regular latecomer, it is time to take action. It is important that you enforce the threatened consequences else the teen will soon call your bluff.

4. Too much of drama in real life

You suddenly notice that your teens are more reactive and emotional than ever. The slightest of things tick them off and slamming doors with sobs or acts of aggression are on an increase. Things that seem trivial for you are immensely important for the teens.

The solution

Parents do have a tendency to trivialize the importance of various things in a teen’s life based on their experience. Realize that before that experience, you too were in the same boat as the teen and allow the teen to go through his/her experience and learning. Do not start doling out advice or criticism. Lend an empathetic ear and take his/her concerns seriously. Show that you care and you will see less of the drama.

5. Keeping bad company

It is often taught that the ABC of life is ‘avoid bad company’. Your teen, however seems to relish being friends with those you loathe. Whether it is that greasy-haired stinking boy next door or that girl at school who has had body piercings, what should you do when you don’t like the friends that your teen has?

The solution

Not judging the book by its cover holds very good in this case. While kids might dress weird or behave strangely in your presence, they can still be perfectly normal. For a teen, their friends hold a special place in life. And so, when you criticize their friends, teens take it personally. It could hurt the teen and also result in alienation. However, if you feel that your child is in a group of troubled teens who often skip school, do drugs and indulge in vandalism, you should express your concern without putting the teen on the defensive side. You should nip such evil in the bud and don’t hesitate to seek professional help too, if necessary.

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