HELP! There's a teenager on the house!

Subject page : Life & Style

For some parents, the experience of seeing our children's transition into young adults is a challenging one. 'Whatever you do ... don't have teenagers' a work colleague sighed at me many years ago after debating with her teenage child on the telephone. Then, I thought it was funny but now I can certainly sympathise.

If it were not for friends who have gone through teenage rearing I would think I had done something seriously wrong in my parenting. When at home my teenager wants to stay in his room, only to emerge for food and drink. When I ask him to tidy his room it seems to be interpreted as go and play on your playstation. I would like to share some of the positive stories and comments I've received from other parents that are helping me cope with a teenager in the house.

" I tried being really strict and that didn't work. Then I tried being lenient but that didn't work either. I believe that what goes in must come out. If you invest positive values into your child through experience I have seen that it does come out in the long run."

"Evaluate what is really worth getting stressed about. Some of us worry that our children give_us too much back chat while some parents worry because their child has a life threatening problem".

"I made my home the house where my son and his friends could hang out. I had to bite my lips many times but I preferred them being in my home rather than on the streets."

Author:  Sonia Michelle
Added:  01 Jun 2009