Teenage rebellion is nothing new. Rebellious children have been around since the first children inhabited the earth. Remember Cain and Abel? So, what should you do about it? Run from the battle? Raise the white surrender flag in defeat? Go to war with guns blazing? As part of their development into young adults, humans must develop an identity independent from their parents or family and a capacity for independent decision-making. They may experiment with different roles, behaviours, and ideologies as part of their process of developing an identity.
Teenage rebellion has been recognized within psychology as a set of behavioural traits that supersede class, culture, or race. Adolescence is often viewed as a negative part of child development, as teenagers turn from the obedient children parents know and love into moody and rebellious strangers. However challenging this developmental stage is, rebellion is a normal and necessary part of growth during adolescence. It is usually short-lived, and most teens and their parents weather the storm with minimal problems. So here is the question: how can parents manage the behaviour of your rebellious teen?
What measures should be taken? To start with, parents should practice an honest form of communication with your teen. Teen stress is real so this time in a teenager’s life can be upsetting for everyone. Being honest with your teen and taking the time to listen to his o her concerns may turn out surprisingly helpful. Listen to your child with understanding and sympathy, avoid comments that can cause arguments and tension, never lose your temper and say something in the heat of the moment, be there for your child and he or she will always come to you needing a shoulder to cry on.
The Essay on Child/ parent relationship in the Little Boy Crying?
The poem, Little Boy Crying, written by Mervyn Morris is mainly about father and sons relationship. Poet shows the two main themes through this relationship; fathers love towards his child and his effort to lead his child into a right world in life. Mervyn Morris explores the child and parents relationship by using second person narration and language techniques such as allusion and emotive words. ...
Secondly, developing a set of rules with well understood consequences is also a very effective approach. Teenager must know the boundaries. Explain that as a parent, you have your teen’s best interests in heart, that his o her safety is your top priority and that it is very stressful for you, the parent, if you do not know where they are or why they are late for curfew. It is important to talk and explain, not to scream, yell, beat or spank. Your job as a parent is to create an atmosphere of calm and quiet, not to cause tension.
Moreover, parents should encourage individual accomplishments. Never compare yourself with your teen or put on pedestal other teens. Concentrate on your child’s strengths, not on his o her weaknesses and be more specific praising, just saying “Good job” is not enough. Finally, show some respect to your child. You were once a teenager. Showing respect for your teen’s individual accomplishments, honesty and self-reliance will help your teen develop into a mature adult who is capable of making realistic and responsible decisions.
Remember that the best way to discipline your children is to give them a choice and to leave them some decisions. But respecting your teen’s choices and decisions never forget that the dividing line between permissiveness and sheer negligence is very fine indeed. There is nothing wrong with teenage rebellion. A strongly believe that parents can even take advantage of it. It is much better for teens to make bad decisions under their parent’s protective umbrella, where they can go back and talk about the failure and how to do it right the next time, than for them to leave a house and make all wrong decisions.
