Identifying with your troubled teen

Many parents have a tough time identifying with their teenage children and this can lead to poor parenting habits which can be detrimental to their child's life.  With the increase in troubled teens these days, it is important to understand what you child is going through and help him or her as much as you can so that they do not go get caught on a downward spiral.  We were all teenagers once and probably also struggled with all of the things that are going on.  Hormonal changes, altering worldview, and relationship issues all impact a teenagers life. With so many negative influences in the world that can lead to a troubled teen, you need to understand what your child is going through.    

You need to ask yourself what you can do to help your troubled teen.  There are numerous things you can do but the most important one is to remember what you were like when you were a teenager.  It is important to think back to your experiences when you were a teenager.  Your kids will catch on to this very quickly and begin to see that you are simply trying to understand them first, and not jump to outrageous conclusions.

Another important tip is to be open and be honest with your teenager. This is one of the most important steps that a parent can take to ensure a close relationship with their kids, and is one that is overlooked most often. Most parents' possess a great fear that if they reveal certain mistakes of their past or let some of their negative characteristics come to light that they're child will get the green light to do the same. This could not be further from the truth. Secrets do nothing but damage levels of trust and understanding, where is being open only encourages and

Discipline with heart, and not with an iron fist. Being strict to outrageous means or constantly commanding your children only leads to much larger problems down the road. Your children need to see that you are making rules and setting boundaries based on something that is justifiable, and not just based on unknown fear, this is a large part of putting yourself in their shoes. If you've developed a reputation of making rules that make sense and are only in place to protect your child and give them the ability to understand something more about life, then they will see and respect that. Don't waste away your teenager's trust, as it is very hard to win back.

So next time you and your teen run into some tough problems, maybe it would be wise of you as a parent too take a look at yourself too, and remember where you once were. Regardless of what we as parents might think, we don't know it all, and still have a lot to learn just like any other human being. We have the experience so why not remember it?