Child Behavior: Teenage Rebellion

What is "teenage rebellion"?

Teenage rebellion is for the most part, is a very healthy thing. That is that we're back to what the toddler was doing at age two. That push pull. Teenagers are experiencing at some point in that range of teenage hood is experiencing this as well. Where they are being pulled into... I'm an adult you can't tell me what do to. I know everything and being pushed into... I'm just a little baby, I don't know... you know I'm just a little child, I don't know.. pay for everything, do everything, and take care of me. So it's conflicting emotions that they experience. If you take alot of the kind of crazy things they do with humor that's going to go alot further than getting morbidly upset with how they're behaving because, they are really going through a seriously confusing time as they're individuating as they're growing up to become their own person. You need alot of guidance at that time.

Why is it important to pay attention to my teenager?

Teenagers need to be really watched because, from 13 on, they're being exposed to all kinds of very inappropriate things including people, poor values, drugs, sexual activity, and criminal activity, and the parent isn't with them at school or in the neighbourhood. Pornography; oh my word, there are so many really negative kinds of influences that are out there that can greatly impact a teenager. Therefore parents do need to keep track of their teenagers; of whom they're with, where they're going, what's happening there, if there are there chaperones, and also keep them busy in constructive activities. These things do happen; your teenagers are going to meet up with people who will exploit them, and tell them all kinds of things that they want to hear, and they're too young to discern about being used and abused by people out there. So, parents really need to keep track of their kids.

What are the warning signs that my teen's rebellion could be dangerous?

Well for one thing, the first time the child comes home stoned, its always a wake up call. Its very important to realize if the child is using any of the inappropriate drugs like marijuana. I think that by age 13 parents really should of done a good job with educating them about drugs, sex, approprate sexual behavior, inapropriate sexual behavior and what that could be and the seriousness of it. What is legal and what isn't legal. I think that education is the key, and if you have a child who is really over the top - Negative, depressed, won't come out of their room, won't go to school, is getting high all the time, is running around with criminal element - it's time to really scramble and get the help you need.