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Have you noticed that your teenager has started becoming defiant as they struggle to discover who they are and where they fit in society?
Yes, your lovely, affectionate child may seem alien to you now but that’s just part of the growing process. Prepare yourself as you may have to cope with further mood swings, rule-breaking, and other signs of a rebellious youth toward whatever authority figures present.
While coping with a rebellion may be draining, stressful, and plain challenging, there are methods to make it easier for all parties involved. You won’t be able to transform your kid with a snap of your fingers, but there are steps you can take to aid your teenager and yourself through this shift.
Here’s how to parent a rebellious teenager.
Respect
It may be quite irritating when children act rudely and disrespectfully toward their parents, teachers, or other people in authority. Regrettably, many people respond with rudeness and hostility, which is not the right way to approach the matter. You must mirror the conduct you wish to see as a grownup. Irrespective of what you teach, if your kid witnesses you behaving in a demeaning manner toward them, they will use it against you to justify their actions.
See the good
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Positive feedback is a technique that may be used not only when your child is a preschooler, but also when he or she is a teenager. Make it a point to compliment your teenager on proper behavior. Showing your child that you are pleased, even if it is the tiniest action, can drive good conduct in the future.
Negative attention is sometimes the quickest form of attention for a headstrong teen to obtain. Your odds of your kid doing something right are limited if you just pay attention when he or she does something improper. Instead, focus on the positives, and the negative issues may go away.
Listen more than advice
The most effective technique to break past the barrier of teen disengagement is to listen more than you speak. When you provide counsel instead of listening more than 75% of the time, you’re interfering with a teen’s ability to take responsibility for their life.
Not to mention your body language. You’re not signaling that you’re aware of and sensitive if you’re preoccupied with anything or constantly scrolling on your smartphone. Put everything aside and focus on your child when conversing. However, some kids may be uneasy over eye contact and prefer to converse while looking away. If that’s the case, walking in the park or going for a short drive that does not involve direct eye contact may help.
Handling a rebellious teenager might feel like an absolute nightmare, but there is hope. Keep in mind that your teen’s early adulthood years are only a passing phase of his or her life. Communicating tenderly with your child now can pay off later in life by assisting him or her in developing appropriate coping skills and a better bond with you. Try the abovementioned tips and see if it works for you.
