by Patti Winters

Created on: February 16, 2007   Last Updated: June 12, 2010

Many people will tell you that they feel teenagers are a different entity. They don't understand how they think or why they act or dress the way they do, but these same people also don't take the time to get to know them. People normally don't talk to the adolescent and find out the answers to any questions they may have. People generally don't want to have to make an effort to try and understand someone else's belief system.

The teenage years are a difficult time for most people and when they become an adult they try and put it behind them to become responsible members of society. Unfortunately, by putting up a mental block for this time of your life it makes it difficult to relate with anyone else going through it. Adults need to look beyond the heavy makeup, the strange hair styles and wild clothes to the individual underneath. Most teenagers are just trying to find out how they fit into the world. They have so many questions and they don't know how to ask them or even who to ask. Who should they talk to that won’t judge them for their outer appearance and will take the time to get to know who they are inside. Many times they just want someone to listen to them and not judge them by the way they look.

It is important to remember some of the clothing styles and attitudes we had as teenagers and give them a break. They are just trying to find their own comfort zone to be able to grow up and live a happy life. Take the time to talk to them and you will be surprised at not only the knowledge that they have but the questions and concerns they have about numeral subjects to include politics, the environment and financial stability. Teenagers are our future and as such we need to nurture them and help them grow and teach them to be responsible for their actions. If we are consistently judging them because of the way they look, not only are we missing out on quite a bit, but we are diminishing what adolescents are capable of understanding and doing.

Adolescents are the future of the world and if we teach them not to listen to the people around them by ignoring them now, then that is how they will act in the future to other people and their own children. So take the time now to sit down with your children and open up a dialogue to help them through their feelings and just to find out what is happening in their lives. It doesn’t have to be complicated, the best bet is to keep it simple so that they don’t think you are finding another way to ignore their feelings. A few ways to do this would be to have dinner together, so you can talk together in a relaxed environment or to go for a walk together or even work in the yard together. There are quite a few options available, so stay open and enjoy your adolescent.

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