Parents & Teens Should Make Rules Together

Parents & Teens Should Make Rules Together

Many of my patients’ parents have an expectation of complete obedience. They tell me things like, “She just doesn’t listen,” or, “He doesn’t have any respect for the rules.” These discipline failures turn into blame games—the parents blame the adolescent and the adolescent complains about the parents. 

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Parents, Do You Listen to Your Teenager?

Parents, Do You Listen to Your Teenager?

Your teenager starts to explain his perspective and you immediately hear the flaws in his logic. The next natural step is to point out the problems with his reasoning followed by an overwhelming temptation to give advice — even though you know that the conversation will end in frustration and disappointment. Yet, you live with the faint hope that today might be different; today he will listen and understand.

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