Does every dinner with your parents seem to turn into an argument? Have your once warm and open conversations become cold and guarded? You are not alone. Heated arguments and cold silences are common between teenagers and their parents.
Teenagers' physical changes may result in such family tensions. You may feel worried that you are developing at a different rate to your friends, shooting up in hight or getting left far behind. You might worry about your changing voice and weight problems. When it all gets too much, your parents are often the first goals of your anger.
It can be a big headache to balance your developing mental needs too. You enter a strange middle ground-- no longer a small child but not quite an adult. You have both a new hope for independence and a continued need for your parents' love and support. You feel ready to be more responsible and make decisions on your own. Unluckily, your parents do not always agree and that makes you feel unhappy. "Why can't they just let me go?" You may wonder. On the other hand, when you are trying to control your feelings, you wish they could be more caring and patient-- sometimes they forget that growing up is a hard ride. It can be difficult when your parents treat you like a child but expect you to act like an adult. All of this can lead to a breakdown in your relationship.
_____▲_____. The key to keeping the peace is regular and honest communication. When you disagree with your parents, take a minute to calm down and try to understand the situation from their point of view. Perhaps they have experienced something similar and do not want you to go through the same pain. After you have thought it through, explain your actions and feelings calmly, listen carefully, and address their concerns. Through this kind of healthy discussion, you will learn when to back down and when to ask your parents to relax their control.
Just remember that it is normal to fight with the stress and that you and your parents can work together to improve your relationship. The good news is that this stormy time will not last. Everything will turn out all right in the end, and the changes and challenges of your teenage years will prepare you for adulthood.
