Parenting is a tough job. You are responsible for helping your child grow and become the most wonderful version of themselves that they can be. However, not everything goes off without a hitch, especially when you’re raising a teenager. According to a recent study in Developmental Science, teens today are more stressed than ever before. Whether it is because they’re growing up in an overly-interconnected world, feeling the constant pressure to be perfect, or dealing with the crazy political and world climate of today, no wonder these teens are feeling troubled.
With all these challenges presented to your troubled teen, you probably feel desperate to help them feel happy and at peace as a parent. You are not alone in helping your teen get through challenging times. There are plenty of psychologists and other professionals dedicated to helping adolescents grow their self-esteem and understand the limits of their own health and happiness. As you are working to help your teen feel better, here are a few things you should know about parenting a troubled teen.
They need you to listen with an empathetic ear.
If you have a teenager at home, you’ve probably heard the phrase “you’ll never understand me” once or twice. It’s true, you’ll never completely understand what your teen is going through. But if you look at the 5 tips for helping your troubled teenager, the number one suggestion is treating their problems with empathy and compassion. Offer them that listening ear, get them the help they need without judgment, and give them space and the tools they need to get through their trials. Your teen’s life is different than your own and you may need to do some research just for informational purposes to try and understand their perspectives. But by taking the time to hear them and give them a space to vent and talk things out, you’re taking positive steps to help them through their teenage years and to grow into adulthood.
A need for professional help is not unreasonable.
More and more young people are at higher risk of being diagnosed with mental health disorders. Seeking medical treatment is not an unrealistic or unreasonable step forward. Depending on your age, you may feel there is some sort of taboo on seeing a healthcare provider for mental health care. That is no longer the case. Seek professional medical advice for your adolescents to help them get through the difficulties in their daily life.
You don’t have to spend a fortune on medications.
If your teen ends up needing medication for certain anxiety or depression disorders, you do not have to spend an insane amount getting them the medical care they need from the pharmacy. Check out www.usarx.com for a discounted drug cost or price comparisons. This is the best way to get your teen the care they need without spending a fortune to do it.
It’s okay if you aren’t perfect, as long as you’re trying.
When you have a troubled teen, you can feel like you failed as a parent. You wonder where you went wrong or what you could have done to help ease this burden from your adolescents. The biggest thing to remember is that as long as you are trying and giving them love, you are succeeding as a parent. It is not your job to fix every single problem and you need to give yourself some comfortable boundaries as well. Sometimes giving that space is the most important thing and can help them grow and succeed on their own. Give yourself grace and remember that parenting is hard enough without blaming yourself for any issues facing your teenagers.
