How to Help Your Troubled Teenage Child

Teenagers go through many stages, and if your teen seems to be going through a rebellious stage that doesn’t seem to be coming to an end than there may be something to be concerned about.

No parent wants to hear that their child has been engaging in doing drugs, shoplifting, or drinking alcohol.. But if your teen is involved in anything of the sort than you need to help them. Of course your teenage daughter isn’t going to come up to you and say “Hey mom I just had sex,” and your son surely won’t decide to tell you that he did drugs at his friends house earlier that day. So you need to look for signs that tell you if your child is in trouble and needs you to help pull them out.

There are many things that will tell you if your child is falling into the many traps that teens fall into these days. Some teenagers will show it in many ways such as failing grades, a change in attitude towards almost everything from family and friends to school and their future. But some teens will hide it very well to where you won’t even know that they are doing anything wrong or out of the ordinary. So you really need to keep your eye on things if you want to make sure that your child isn’t doing anything that you would disapprove of.

If you know for a fact that your teen is in trouble and is under the wrong influence, than here are some things you can do to make sure they start back on the right path.

Listen to your child.
Many children feel that their parents don’t hear them when they talk, that parents just don’t and never will understand. But you need to show your child that you do listen to them and that you do understand, even if you fully don’t. Take your child out to lunch and actually talk to your child, ask them why they are having such a hard time or why they have turned to this behavior. Don’t be angry when you speak to them, be calm and show them that you still love them and you just want what is best for them.

Dealing with your teens friends.
Now, don’t assume right away that it’s your child’s friends that are encouraging your child to behave this way. It could your child all on their own, but than again it could be the friends. You can’t tell your child who to be friends with and who not to be friends with, they are going to be friends with whoever they want to be friends with. However, you do have say in where they go and when they go since they are your child so be careful about when you say yes when they ask you if they can go somewhere.

Yes, your child will think it’s lame and may dislike you for it but you should start calling parents to make sure your child is who they really say they are with. Of course this will make them frustrated but at least you will know that your child is telling the truth and be sure you call them every so often to check on them.

Find your teen help.
Look into your area for groups that your child can join and consider having your child see a therapist. Your child needs ways to sort out all of their problems and it’s okay if you can’t help them do this all on their own. You may need to turn to professional help, your teen may not enjoy this but it needs to happen if you want your child to get better.