Adolescence is one of the most crucial and delicate transitional periods in your children’s lives. When they are within the age range of 13 to their early twenties, they will experience a few hormonal and physical changes.
This means that, despite having a good upbringing or attending the best international schools in Manila, they are no exemption from having changing behaviors, which can be attributed to ‘nature’ and ‘nurture.’ On the nature standpoint, a shift in behavioral patterns is due to hormonal changes and the maturity of the brain. On the other hand, the nurture side points towards social expectations and factors that implicate adolescent growth.
Let’s explore some of the main aspects that touch on this:
Aggressive Tendencies
Parents, who have teenagers, are often bewildered when they become angry for no apparent reason. During this time of their lives, they are more likely to resort to argumentative discussions and could talk back to authoritative figures.
When this happens, it is vital for you to practice patience and empathy; understand that anger is a normal and healthy human emotion that is being felt by teenagers.
A common mistake other guardians do is to retaliate and shout back. The best way to calm down your teen is to be calm yourself. Control your anger, listen, and understand what your teen is trying to communicate.
Misunderstandings and Mood Swings
Mood swings are quite typical for teenagers, with them being joyful at one moment then cranky the next. Your teen may even lash out—claiming that the treatment she is receiving from you is unfair.
Many parents make the common mistake of trivializing what their teen is going through. Although you may feel as though your teen is overreacting, pointing that out will only make her feel misunderstood, which may result to her shutting off completely.
Let your teen talk about it. By going through this avenue, you will make her feel that someone is indeed listening to her. This will, then, lead to more open discussions between the two of you.
Increased Social Media Use
Smartphones, communication devices, and social media are not bad things. They even serve as technological miracles that keep track of your teen’s whereabouts. But an unhealthy dosage of it can greatly affect her behavior, lifestyle, and attitude.
A great way to deal with this is to encourage your teen to talk about the things that she does online—allowing her to open up about some of her interests. Another tip is to implement agreed-upon restrictions, such as setting a limited time for her to spend on social media sites daily.
Indecisiveness
Teenagers are often confused because of the emotional and physical changes that they are going through. Adolescence is the best time to introduce decision-making skills to your child. Teach her different ways to evaluate and gauge options towards arriving at the right or the best choice.
For example, ask her to list down all her tasks on a daily basis. Tell her to rank them according to importance.
Key Takeaway
When your child is in her teenage years and is learning to juggle her responsibilities at home and at the best international school in Manila, try to exercise a deep understanding of all the changes she is going through.
