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Parenting teens that are emotionally unstable or have other behavioral problems amplifies the challenge of raising kids who are in their adolescence. Unfortunately problem behavior and anxiety among teenagers is pretty common and there are many reasons that work behind a teen becoming emotionally unstable. In such a trying situation, parents need to learn new strategies for their day-to-day survival and navigate through solutions to help their teen heal and overcome their problems.
It is highly tempting for parents to turn away from their teen that is emotionally unstable. Parents tend to give up on their teens when the problem becomes way too serious or solutions don’t seem to work. What parents need to understand is that they have more control over their teens than the situation has. Most parents don’t give themselves the credit but they are very influential people in their teen’s life. Preserving a strong connection with your teen along with effective communication can be hard at times but this is a goal worth striving for. It is hard for parents to adjust to the unstable behavior in kids but the worst thing they can do is to leave their teens helpless.
Looking at the problem from a different perspective is the most effective way to solve it, say experts. Psychologists call it reframing. This shift in the perspective allows the parents to focus on their teen’s problem, its causes and its effects rather than other aspects of the problem behavior. The problem can be solved simply by looking at it from a different angle and acting and thinking about it differently. When parents start to act in a better way with their teen, the child will have no choice but to do so too.
Troubled teens do need professional help to identify the thing that is triggering the problem behavior. Seeking professional help right from the start is more successful than benefiting from it when the emotional instability gets way out of hand. Some parents are reluctant to seek professional help because, according to them, getting help is a sign of weakness. Professional help benefits not only the teen in need but also assists the whole family to strive for a solution.
For parents who are raising troubled teens, fear lingers at the back of their mind. What if the situation spirals out of control putting the teen and others in danger? Crisis situations are not uncommon when you are dealing with a troubled teen. It is better that parents prepare beforehand for potentially hazardous situations so that it is easier and quicker to respond when you need to do so.
When dealing with emotionally troubled teens the focus doesn’t have to be them all the time. They do need special care and attention but to give them that day after day, you need to give yourself some time to re-energize and re-group. You also need to pat yourself on the back for all the hard work your doing to help your teen whether it is working or not.