Understanding Adolescents

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Many parents find their kids very lovable until they reach the age of twelve. When their children become teenagers, parents begin to face hard time understanding them. For most families with adolescent members, life at home undergoes some dramatic changes as the stressful atmosphere creeps in. Such is the usual complaint of parents who have raised their children through their teenage years. At various times, they experience feelings of confusion and frustration that eventually lead them misunderstand their fast-growing children. Generally, confusion sets in when, one day children begin trading the time their family used to spend together for time with their friends. Also, parents would notice that, most of the time their children would not respond but rather lose interest in their comments, instructions and discipline. Parents usually upset, frustrated and at times feel rejected when their children demands for their independence and privacy. This happens when children starts to demonstrate some emotional and physical withdrawal from them, such as pulling away from the hugs of their parents, refusing to go to places with family members and sharing of secrets with their trusted friends rather than with their parents. Although these feeling of confusion, frustration and misunderstanding may be typical among families with teenagers, parents should find time to address these matters properly lest they encounter more serious parent-teen problems. As children pass through this rather unstable stage of their lives, parents must adjust and take a more diplomatic, flexible and supportive approach to parenting, however they should never compromise the will of God in doing so. Parents should give their children some freedom to make their own decisions on certain matters, but with enough parental guidance. Above all, parents should raise adolescents into spiritually healthy adults and seek God's help that they may be able to use their time with their children properly, as they lead them through the right direction. To parents of adolescents, the bible says "Teach children how they should live, and they will remember it all their life (Prov.22-6). Parents who understand the adolescents can build a happy, stable and harmonious family