Handling Unruly Behaviour of Teenagers

Teenage is perhaps more difficult for you as a parent if you don’t know how to handle a grouchy moody child. But all that is needed is a little understanding

Psychosomatic changes

Your child is now a teenager eager to take control of their lives. No longer a kid, they want to be independent and treated as adults. They resist all types of control and monitoring. It irritates them. This leads teenagers to adopt a general aggressive attitude towards people around them, which at times degenerates into unruly behaviour.

The feeling of isolation or insecurity that creeps into the psyche of teenagers as a result of hormonal changes in their body also contributes greatly to teenage unruly behaviour.

Other possible causes of disruptive behaviour can be attributed to factors such as peer pressure, failure to do well in academics and other competitive activities, problematic relationships and so on.

No Authoritarianism

The following are steps you can keep in mind to manage the unruly behaviour of your teenager:

• Stay Involved – Actively participate in the activities of your teen. The best way to manage and curb the unruly behaviour of your teenager is to actively participate in their activities and not let them feel neglected in any way. Do not abandon your teenager with the view that they are old and capable enough to manage themselves on their own. Rather stay involved with your teenage son/daughter as you have been with him/her during the childhood years.

Take extra care to make your child comfortable during the rapid mood swings they, experience during this period of life. Treat your teenager as a friend and also be friends to their friends. Make your house teenage friendly where your child’s teenage friends can easily come and go.

• Healthy Communication – You should be a friend to your teen. Be aware of the needs and requirements of your teenager. Frankly discuss with your teen their concerns regarding teenage issues and other general problems. Understand what your teen likes and encourage them to pursue that. Also, assist them to cope up with the stress and strains of academics and extracurricular activities.

Loosen Up

• Don’t Be Rigid – Adopt a flexible attitude towards your teenager. Teenagers resist being controlled and want to assert their independent behaviour. They want to experiment with new things all the time. However, you might not like every new thing your teen tries.

Don’t be rigid with your teen. Give them ample space and time to explore things. Respect their choices and do not impose your decisions just for the sake of demonstrating that you are in control. This may lead to severe conflicts. Instead let your teen learn through personal experience and decide right and wrong for themselves.

This will help your teen to develop self-confidence and a healthy respect for you. Try to resolve differences and conflicts you have with your teen in an amicable manner instead of shouting at them. This will only aggravate the situation. Use the path of counselling to resolve conflicts.

• Basic Rules And Regulations – Ensure teenagers follow some basic set of rules and regulations. In spite of adopting a soft and a flexible attitude towards your teenager, you must have some basic set or rules and regulations in place to govern them. Make sure that your teen properly understands these rules and regulations. Also, ensure that they are fully aware of the consequences of breaking these rules and regulations. For example, your teenager should be aware that certain activities such as smoking, drinking, or taking drugs are strictly out of bounds and will not be tolerated at any cost.

Teenage is a very sensitive phase of life. It is also a phase of life when moral and behavioural conditioning of a person takes place. In this context, parents must take adequate steps to manage their teens and keep a check on their behaviour.