Bringing up children is not an easy task It requires much patience and also dedication. One must feel responsible enough to guide them onto the right path and also ensure that they grow up to be responsible citizens. Small children may not be all that difficult to handle, but ensuring that an adolescent teenager does not mess up his or her life is indeed very challenging and requires full attention of the parents.
Teenagers have a tendency to do what they please. They challenge parental authority and do not like elders to interfere in their lives. They feel they are responsible enough to take care of their lives. No doubt, they do not have the experience of life as their parents do, but yet they think they know what is best for them. Under such circumstances parents have a difficult time indeed to ensure that they grow up to be healthy, normal individuals. After all, parents are usually blamed for faulty upbringing of children. In the East for instance, incase the behavior of the children is not proper, then parents are held responsible for it. In India, parents feel that they must guide their child at every stage of life. Even if the son has grown up and has a family of his own, then also parents tend to still advise. It is part of the culture. These days with growing urbanization and nuclear family system, children are leading their own lives and not living in joint family arrangement as one did otherwise.
Parents find it difficult to cope up with teenagers. Why so?
Why are teenagers difficult to handle?
- Adolescence is an age when children are rebellious. They tend to question the authority of their parents. They refuse to listen to their parents.
- Teenagers are often confused and do not know what is good for them. Nevertheless, they are stubborn and prefer to do what they think is right. They feel that they are grown up enough to decide for themselves what is good for them.
- Peer group pressure is also there. A teenager follows what his or her friends do. Often they get into bad habits such as drugs, alcoholism and smoking. Their friends get them into these habit as they tell them it is “in-thingâ€. Parents find it difficult to ensure that their children move in the right circles. The teenager refuses to listen to their advice.
- Media also has a great influence on an adolescence. They often pick up bad habits after watching their favorite hero or heroine doing it. Parents also find it difficult to check the TV or movie watching habits of their teenaged child.
- Working parents often do not have time for their child. A teenager may want some time with his or her parents to sort out personal problems. Some parents may not have the time or do not understand their feelings. Lack of proper communication is one factor.
- Even at school, teachers do have a problem in handling teenagers. Parents have to have regular sessions with the teachers and ensure that their child does not develop bad habits.
- Often parents themselves do not set a good example before their teenaged child. The parents may be quarreling with each other, thus creating disharmony in the house. This often forces the teenaged child to stay out of the house for longer time. This of course is not a good sign, as a child must spend more time at home rather than outside where he or she can get exposed to bad elements.
Teenagers are indeed difficult for parents to handle, but as parents they cannot give up their responsibility in ensuring that they build up their future and carry out constructive acitivities.