Parenting complex adolescents has never been easy. And in 2018, it’s never been harder. While hormones and angst have accompanied adolescence since the beginning of time, we live in an ever-complex world. Gender identification, sexuality, and cyber bullying are just a few examples of complicated issues that kids are now facing more openly than ever. And with advanced technology at their fingertips, teenagers today may sometimes even feel as though they have to navigate two lives; the one they lead in reality and the one they have created for themselves online and/or via social media. As kids struggle with these new issues, they can often withdraw and isolate, sometimes presenting as angry and irritable in the process. For parents, this can be an alarming turn of events. Most of the time, this dynamic is just a frustrating reminder that a child is growing up. But in some cases, the problems may run deeper and be cause for greater concern.
While they don’t get paid for their efforts, it often feels as though a teenagers job is to be difficult. Its normal for them to feel misunderstood and confused. As a result, a teenager may feel angry, alone and lost while facing complicated issues about identity, peers, sexual behavior, drinking and drugs. Parents may feel frustrated that their child no longer responds to authority appropriately. Methods of discipline that worked well in earlier years may no longer have an effect. Parents may also feel frightened and helpless about the choices their teen is making. [Read more…] about Parenting Complex Adolescents