21 May How to Understand your Teenager….
Teenagers are historically difficult, but for many reasons, that isn’t enough to help parents feel better about their behavior. Teenagers are so full of angst, anxiety and are so preoccupied, its very easy to feel hurt by them. We as parents so want to understand and connect with them and they trigger in us, feelings both of when we were young, navigating our own way and also feelings we developed from wanting to give them more than we had.
This can be so difficult, but if navigated patiently, can be very rewarding. This is the time of year when kids are finishing their college year, perhaps are graduating or if younger, school shows, events are all impinging on our lives. Shifts are big right now. As a parent who is feeling overwhelmed, where can you turn to help understand how to difficult this time is?
Oftentimes, it’s great to find other parents so you can “normalize” the behavior by sharing stories, but sadly, sometimes we don’t have those resources to draw from. I’m inviting parents to write in to me (Marya Samuelson, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor) to ask questions and since I am both a mother (three daughters) and as psychotherapist, let’s discuss how to navigate as this time of year. If you share, it will inspire others to share too. I look forward to hearing from you!