You know when children are young; they are so sweet, loving and easy to care for. Sometimes when they reach teen years, it can seem as if things are breaking apart. Even good parents can sometimes feel they are a failure because nothing seems to be working!
You may wonder what your teens want or need from you. One minute they want you close, and the next minute they don’t want anything to do with you. It can be tough knowing they need you but saying they don’t! Most parents find this very frustrating.
What I know is that it’s absolutely possible that these are normal feelings. The trick is to break the code of what your teenagers are trying to say. This can help you understand not only the realities but also the emotions that go along with it. What I know is that all teen behavior is an attempt to communicate.
What I do is to help parents understand what their teenagers are trying to say, to help guide them to be safe, to be happy, and to make good life choices.
– Suzan Aldimassi, MS., MFT