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I have a daughter who in her teen years became very rebellious. She began to drink and do drugs at the age of 13. She also sought out other kids that were into the gang lifestyle. She ran away several times and always for the same reason..."I can't be stuck in the house all the time, I get too nervous". She became volatile toward me and her siblings and threatened as well as attempted to commit suicide. She refused to go to school, and when she did she would either cause trouble or ditch. I never could understand why she did all of these things. Didn't I show her love and affection? Wasn't I fair to her in my expectations? My only expectations of my children were to stay in school, do their homework and their chores, and respect me and our home. I try even today to understand those trying years with her and still I have no real answer. She is now 24 years old with 4 children and all she says about those times is, "I was just a stupid little chick". Of course even now she struggles with everyday life. She suffers depression and anxiety, and has a hard time completing anything she starts. Though I often let her know that she needs to be in therapy, she refuses to go even though she agrees. She is a good mommy, and I know she loves her children. She had her first at 18 yrs. old and lost him 8 mos. later. After a year of case plans, supervised visitations, and court dates she lost custody of him and he was put up for adoption. I was so broken hearted because the courts wouldn't let me have him due to the situation I was in at the time which was temporary. In seeing her mother her other children born, I thank God everyday that she finally understood that her children come before her and she has to love and care for them everyday. Teenagers are hard to understand and deal with. In their behalf I will say that even though some of them act out in ways that are dangerous for themselves, their families, and their future...all of them are so different. They have different thoughts about family, life, the world in general, and education as well as many other topics such as drug use and having children. And there are teenagers that do very well in school, they have close relationships with their family, and they work to make money for themselves. These teenagers seem to get it right while other spiral out of control. I don't believe that there is any one answer to the trouble teenagers get themselves into. But I also don't believe that they are so complex that they can't

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