Parenting Teens

Parenting teens is big stuff.

Tough stuff.

In some ways, it's like the relentless challenges that come with raising preschoolers. With teens, parents can tend to get more sleep, but there are none of the spontaneous warm hugs or snuggles to feed our hearts.

It can, quite simply, be a hard slog without any obvious signs that we're on the right track. It can even seem that our once-was-lovely child has become a nasty-teen-creature determined to shred Parent to pieces.

From a therapist's perspective, that need to shred parents is an almost necessary part of the process of Individuation. The link and connection with Parent needs to be totally altered, by the teen, in order for them to successfully claim their own moving-towards-adult identity.

So. Understandable.

Yet no easier to journey through.

This posting just nails it. http://www.emotionalgeographic.com/blog-1/2015/6/23/parent-corner-the-letter-your-teenager-cant-write-you?fb_action_ids=10207210067309027&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B898965343477912%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

Whilst not written by a teen, it does sums up so well the painful times that they are journeying through, and the painful, for us, need that they can have to seemingly want to shred us.

It also highlights the importance of Parent continuing to be the steady rock that our Teen will bang and bash against. By crashing against our resilience and our strength, our teens will craft themselves into the individuated adults they are going to be.

So.

In the midst of being assailed, carry on as best we can with being a rock and a secure place for our Teen.

#Parenting #Teenagers