Introduction
Are you the parent of a teen struggling with anxiety, depression, or other mood disorders? If so, I can help. I’ve become an expert over the past decade while raising my children and mentoring hundreds of parents and kids like yours — all of whom have overcome their challenges by following these 10 tips for raising a challenging teenager.
Don’t take anything personally.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Don’t take it personally.” This is especially true when it comes to 10 tips for raising a challenging teenager.
It’s not about you; it’s about them. Teenagers have an emotional roller coaster that can make them feel anxious, depressed, and even angry at times. They need their parents as a safe place to talk about their feelings without being judged or criticised by anyone (especially peers). When teens feel like no one understands them or cares enough to listen, this leads to further isolation, which makes them even more upset and angry with themselves than ever before because now two people don’t care: themselves and their parents!
Look at it from their point of view.
If you can’t get inside your teenager’s head, it’s time to get as close as possible. Here are some 10 tips for raising a challenging teenager, and how to do that:
- Try to understand what they are going through. Your teen may not tell you exactly what’s going on or why they feel the way they do, but if you look at things from their point of view and try to see where they are coming from (even if this is different from yours), then maybe it will help with understanding them better.
- Look at things from their perspective–what might seem like an insignificant event could mean something very different for them than for other people in the same situation (like a parent). Thinking about how someone else feels or what might be going through their mind before jumping into action or making judgments can help!
Set boundaries and stick to them.
Setting boundaries and sticking to them is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. It’s not always easy in practice. We often feel like we should give our teens whatever they want because they’re teenagers, and that’s what everyone else does–but this is a mistake! When you set boundaries, your teen will push back against them (and probably try hard). So it would help if you enforced those boundaries even when they are pushing back. Set realistic limits on everything from curfew times to how much time can be spent on video games each week.
However, avoid being too strict or lenient; instead, aim for “reasonable” rules that consider both parties’ needs without letting one side ultimately dictate how things go down in your household! When setting up these new rules with your child(ren), make sure not only do YOU stick by them but also remind THEM about them as well–especially if something comes up where either party feels like there has been some violation or miscommunication regarding what was agreed upon earlier on down through line items within larger packages such as bedtimes/curfew hours; internet usage restrictions; etcetera…”
Listen when they want to talk, but also make sure they listen when you want to talk. Read our 10 tips for raising a challenging teenager
- Listen when they want to talk, but also make sure they listen when you want to talk.
- Listening is an essential skill for communication and can be used to show respect for others. Of course, it’s okay not to agree with everything your teen says or does. However, if you disagree with something another person has said in the family (or outside of it), try listening politely before jumping in with your opinion.
- Don’t interrupt when someone else is speaking–it shows disrespect and makes them feel like their words aren’t important enough for you to pay attention! And if someone does interrupt you while you’re speaking? Don’t take it personally; tell them how much it bothers you by saying, “I hate being interrupted!” Then move on from there without making things awkward between everyone involved, continuing as if nothing happened!
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions if something doesn’t make sense or seems unclear; this way, everyone gets more information out of each conversation instead of just leaving everything up in the air, unanswered questions forever unanswered because nobody wants them answered anyway.”
Make time for fun and laughter together, even for only 15 minutes daily.
Make time for fun and laughter together, even for only 15 minutes daily. Laughter is an essential part of life. It can help you feel better about yourself and your family and lift your mood when things aren’t going so well. It also enables you to connect with others by building relationships based on trust and respect–something teenagers need more than ever these days! That said: it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life (and parenting).
But don’t let this happen! Instead, make sure that there are still some fun moments where all members of the family can relax together without worrying about anything else but having fun together at that moment–even if that means sitting down after dinner while watching TV or playing games online together before bedtime each night before homework gets started later on in the evening (or early morning).
It’s not your fault. Your teenager has a unique personality and temperament that make them more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and anxiety.
You can’t control your teenager’s behaviour. They have unique personalities and temperaments that make them more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and anxiety. It’s not your fault. It’s also important to remember that you can’t control your child’s behaviour – even if you want to! You may be tempted to think: “If I could just get my child into therapy, everything would be fine.” But it’s not quite simple; supportive parenting is just as important as professional help in helping teens with mental health issues learn how to manage their emotions, so they don’t feel overwhelmed by them all the time.
Don’t take it personally. When your teen struggles with emotions like anxiety, depression, or feelings of failure, it can be straightforward to think they are angry at you. They aren’t. They’re mad at themselves and need someone to help them.
When your teen struggles with emotions like anxiety, depression, or feelings of failure, it can be straightforward to think they are angry at you. They aren’t. They’re mad at themselves, and they need someone to help them through it. Don’t take it personally when your kid lashes out at you; they need some space from their parents to figure out how to handle things on their own–and eventually get back into the swing of things again.
Keep calm, be firm, and keep your sense of humour during arguments. When you become upset or angry, you only make things worse by raising your voice and screaming at each other. Instead, use a calm voice and listen carefully when your teen talks about how they feel about something that’s bothering them — don’t interrupt! It may take a few minutes for them to calm down enough to listen to what you have to say, but if you can keep calm when talking with them about their feelings, the chances are good that they will too!
- Listen to what they are saying.
- Don’t interrupt them when they are talking about how they feel about something that’s bothering them — don’t raise your voice and scream at each other either! It may take a few minutes for them to calm down enough to listen to what you have to say, but if you can keep calm when talking with them about their feelings, the chances are good that they will too!
Empathy is an essential part of helping your teen overcome anxiety
Empathy is an integral part of helping your teen overcome anxiety. It’s the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. Empathy helps us relate to others and understand their needs, making it easier for us to assist them when they are struggling or need support. For empathy to be practical, you must first have it yourself! If your teen sees that you have a good level of self-awareness about yourself, then there is more chance that they will be able to learn how they affect others around them, too (and vice versa).
Conclusion
There are the highest of highs when you feel like your heart will burst from pride at the young person developing. And there are the lowest of lows, like when their heart is breaking, and you can’t do anything about it, when they make a poor decision, when someone pushes them down in this world, and when you watch them do any number of stupid things. The worry never ends, and neither does your love.
Raising a challenging teenager can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. You can work with your child to find solutions for their anxiety or depression or seek help from someone who can offer you professional support. Either way, you can give them the support they need. The most important thing is to keep trying new things until something works!