Do your parenting skills keep up with your teenager?

They’re a teen, or a tween — and it’s time to tweak your parenting skills to keep up with them. Yes, they’re probably moodier now than when they were young. And you have new things to think about, like curfews, dating, new drivers, and friends who make you raise your eyebrows.

How do you control your teen’s out-of-line behavior?

Some parents, sensing a loss of control over their teens’ behavior, crack down every time their child steps out of line. Others avoid all conflict for fear their teens will push them away. You don’t have to do either of those things. It’s about finding a balance between obedience and freedom.

Do ex-Pectations make teenagers more likely to do bad things?

“The message we give teenagers is that they’re only ‘good’ if they’re not doing ‘bad’ things, such as doing drugs, hanging around with the wrong crowd, or having sex ,” Lerner says. It could become a self-fulfilling prophecy: Negative ex pectations can actually promote the behavior you fear most.

Why won’t my child stop being disrespectful?

If you never acknowledge the times he manages to control his behavior, he may just stop trying. It may seem counter-intuitive, but relentless attention to failure, with no acknowledgment of even small success, can increase your child’s disrespectful behavior.

What happens when you yell at your child?

Screaming, yelling, or even raising your voice will lead to the same ineffective outcome as saying something hurtful. You will show your child that you are not in control emotionally, that you are his emotional peer. And again, you are modeling ineffective ways to solve problems or conflicts with others.

Should parents break away from disrespectful teenagers?

But as James Lehman, creator of The Total Transformation® program writes: “While it’s important to allow for the natural breaking away process that comes during the teen years, parents also have to be sure to identify and challenge any truly disrespectful child behavior that is hurtful, rude, or demeaning to others.”