by Gil V

Created on: February 28, 2009

Teens and tweens are very difficult at times to deal with. They tend to seem very disrespectful at times and you may see yourself ready to just give up. Maybe, its because they are full of hormones or they are on the verge of wanting independence. Either way you have to find a way to deal with them in a very civil and open minded manner.

Teens especially need to be handled like fine china at times. You cant just start yelling at them and treating them like a child. Understand that they are on the verge of adulthood. They want you to treat them like that. Give them some responsibility, see how much they can handle. For the most part, they are capable of handling more than we think. The idea here is if we treat our teenage children like grown-ups maybe they might start acting like them sooner.

There are times, when desperate situations call for desperate measures. Your teen might act very disrespectful and needs to be for a lack of a better term, taught a lesson. I know that it sounds harsh, but ask yourself. Do you want to live with someone who treats you with total disrespect? Probably not. So, depending on the age of your teenager, grounding might be the key. The term, might mean different things with different people. For some, it means just keeping inside the house for a period of time. Others might take everything from their teen, from cell phone to computer. Cut them off from the outside world. Either way, this might be the way to making your child know that your not going to stand for them being disrespectful toward you or anyone else. If you child is in his or hers upper teen, then threaten with total freedom. Telling them that they have to get a job or get out of your house, might just be the eye opener that they need.

How ever you decide to deal with your child, remember that they are your child. No one can tell you how to deal with them. There might not be a right or wrong way. You do have to remember to stay open minded and try to understand their feelings. All this and at the same time, don't sacrifice your own. You don't want them think that they can talk to you anyway they want, and then a little tear will help them get their way. Stand your ground. Let them know that it is still your house, and they have to abide by rules and sometimes the rules are non-negotiable. So, they have no choice, but to live by them or live outside your house.

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