Parenting can be quite tricky in every phase of life and it gets the hardest when your kid hits adolescence. It can be a real struggle for some parents to the extent that it starts affecting the mental health of both the child and the parent. You may have tried yelling, pleading, threatening, striking and sometimes even bribing your kids to ensure that things get sorted but most of the time it just adds fuel to the fire. Kids tend to drift away from parents during this period and become too sensitive, making them feel and believe that they are always right which eventually builds up to having an unhealthy relationship with their parents. It can be definitely hard for the parents to deal with such rebellious kids who often tend to get influenced mostly by their social circle.

Firstly you need to understand the signs exhibited by a disturbed kid. These signs include:

·         Staying aloof from the rest of the world

·         Increased dependence on video games/ TV and refusing to talk

·         Threatening/ bullying other kids

·         Carrying weapons of any kind or even trying to play with them

·         Being violent to pets

·         Noticeable increase/decrease in food consumption

·         Spending money in ways that are not being accounted for

·         Reduced sleep

Such signs mostly indicate that the kid is in a distressed situation. Here are a few effective things you could try that could help them feel better and secure:

·         Create a regular schedule for them and make sure they follow it

·         Make it mandatory to talk to parents during dinner or after school

·         Throw open-ended questions to them instead of close-ended ones i.e. it is better to ask “What happened at school?” rather than “Was school okay today?”

·         Reduce their interaction time with technology and restrict the usage during bed time

·     Be a part of your kid’s school activities and make them feel positive about the extra curriculars that they do at school

·     Engage them in outdoor activities by enrolling them in after school sessions which involves being trained in their favourite activity

·        Always give them the space to talk and never stop them from expressing their views

·     Remember to keep check on your kid’s social circle and the kind of friends he/she confides in

·      Be affirmative with your rules but not rude; never breakdown in front of your kids as this will make them feel empowered

·        In mild situations, embrace humour and also empathize by not over-reacting

Keep these points in mind and love your kids for who they are..Happy Parenting!

References:

https://www.psychologytoday.co m/blog/communication-success/ 201507/7-keys-handling- difficult-teenagers

https://www.empoweringparents. com/article/your-defiant-child s-behavior-5-things-you-can- and-cant-control-as-a-parent/