Try being Curious about why your teenager is acting a certain way.
Of course this is how my teenager is behaving.
This is a sentence I tell myself a lot.
Why are we always shocked or annoyed with the way they behave?
Of course teenagers are emotional. They are just learning how to control their emotions and then they have hormones on top of that.
Of course teenagers break curfew. They are trying to be independent and test their boundaries.
Of course teenagers talk back. Sometime they don’t feel like they are being heard.
Instead of being upset with the behavior they present to us, try not being shocked by it and get curious.
Of course they are acting this way…….
Sometimes they just need a good discussion with you on how to adjust their behavior for the next time.
Sometimes they just need to know that we understand how they are feeling and love them.
This worked with my husband the other day.
He was being snappy with me and I was being annoyed about it.
Then I got curious as to why he was being snappy with me. AHA! We are talking about making some big changes and of course it is stressful for him.
I could then come from a place of acceptance and validate his feelings and let him know that I understood why he was so stressed, which opened up the discussion for him to share what he was thinking and feeling.
So next time your teenager is misbehaving, try being less shocked about it and more curious.
I teach my teen clients about this concept in my program. Think of how amazing it would be for them to know how to navigate relationships better NOW.
Sign up for a Parent Discovery Call below. It’s where you can share about your teens struggles and we can talk about how I can help!
PS: 1. Don’t be shocked 2. Be Curious 3. Decide if Punishment is needed.