Don't worry, your teen doesn't hate you.
Many Wichita parents agree that during the teen years, parenting alternates between moments of complete joy and utter misery. While raising your teens can often be a source of great happiness, there are also times where you’ll wish you could skip the teen years altogether.
So how do you deal with teen angst, dissent, rebellion, and eventual departure?
First of all, set aside the ego. Your kids will get mad at you and probably not like you at some point. That’s ok. You may be doing something wrong if they don’t. Most teens are wrapped up inside a big ball of ego and a parent’s job is to make sure they understand they are not the center of the universe.
In addition, all bad moods are not caused by you or your parenting. There are many outside influences; like friends, school, extra-curricular activities, and just lack of sleep that are causing your teen to be down in the dumps.
Next, don’t sweat the small stuff like a clean room or an unmade bed. In the grand scheme of things, harping on these minor details probably won’t do any good. Soon enough, your teen may be off to college and he’ll be solely responsible for clean clothes and a tidy room. If that experience doesn’t teach your teen to figure it out, nothing will.
Last, don’t be in such a rush to get them out the door. There may be plenty of anxious moments, but they’re moments to be cherished and they will be missed once junior and missy are all grown up and on their own.
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