At one time in their life, all your child wanted was your love and acceptance. Now, they’re far from that. Gone are the days of family movie nights. Instead of begging you to stay home from school, your teen is running out the door. They might be out with their friends, smoking and drinking, and you’re sick and tired of it. When they ARE home, all you get is back talk and slamming doors. It’s time for this behavior to stop.
Here are some helpful tips to deal with teenage rebellion:
Tips to overcome teenage rebellion
- Be the role model they need. Your teen is in the midst of their teenage rebellion phase, and all they need is someone to look up to. Behave the way you’d want your teen to behave. Don’t yell at them about what they need to do, ask them firmly, yet respectfully.
- Listen to them. Be an open listener. Don’t interrupt your teen, even if you think what they’re saying is wrong or disrespectful. Instead of giving them advice to their problems, be emotionally reflective. Try saying, “It sounds like that situation made you feel …” instead of “this is what I would do …”
- Set limits. Talk to your teen about the consequences of their actions. Agree on specific consequences for negative behaviors, such as cursing, staying out too late and doing poorly in school. Teenage rebellion begins when teens don’t know their limits.
- Compliment them on their strengths. Let your teen know you love them every day. Give them positive feedback for their actions and let them know how important they are. Teens seek out approval. Preventing teenage rebellion starts when you let your teen know how important they are to you.
- Keep them busy. Getting your rebellious teen involved with after school activities, like sports, art or theatre, can really make a difference in their behavior. During these activities, they have the opportunity to meet new friends, who could be positive influences on them. The most important aspect of getting your teen involved in extracurriculars is the passion it can inspire. This passion can lead to a better, brighter future for your teen.
Continued teenage rebellion
If your teen continues to have a rebellious attitude that is disruptive to your family life despite your attempts to help them, consider sending your teen to a wilderness therapy program.
blueFire Wilderness Therapy is a premier wilderness therapy program designed to help struggling teens become the best individuals they can be through high adventure training and activities, adventure therapy, equine therapy, multi-day expeditions and family systems to help teens make lasting changes.
For more information about our program and how we can help your child struggling with teenage rebellion, please call us at 844-413-1999.