Hormones can change teenage boy overnight. Frustrations brew inside, and the feelings are just too strong to contain. Those feelings lead to outbursts, which are confronted by disdain from adults. The disappointment leads to more frustration that then lead to hostility and negative behaviors.
Adolescence has never been an easy stage to go through. With peer pressure and societal demands all around teens these days, it’s even more difficult. Sex, drugs, alcohol, and gangs around every corner, it’s no wonder many teens end up troubled.
As a parent, we have the power to help our teenage boys avoid the pitfalls of adolescence. The best time to start helping them is now.
When It Starts
Teenage boys go through a period in which they need to figure out who they are – a well-known psychologist Erik Erikson called this, “identity crisis.” During this stage of development, adolescents distant themselves from their parents to figure out who they are as far as their beliefs about life.
One of the most startling parts of this stage to parents is not that these boys simply distant themselves, but they are also rude and uninterested in activities they used to enjoy, especially when it comes to the family Many parents begin to wonder if a mental illness is developing, such as depression.
While depression is a mental condition that plagues many teenagers and distance, rudeness and the lack of interest are signs of it, for many adolescents it can be something else. It can simply be how they are working through the identity stage.
What to Do About It
The best approach for teenage boys during the identity crisis is to give them space, but at the same time support, guidance and comfort. They are not only attacking people around them, they are also dealing with an unexplained rage inside of them. They are truly confused inside and outside of themselves.
Parents can help their teenage boy discover who he is by listening without judging. These discussions should happen regular, which means parents may have to find time in their schedule to sit down and connect with him.
It’s also important to set limits in and outside of the home. This may be met with great anger, but it’s only because it’s a change in addition to all of the biological and emotional changes happening inside of the body. Remain strong, and the storm will pass.
When It Gets Out of control
Despite our best efforts, sometimes, teenagers simply embark on a path of destruction. They get into drugs, alcohol, gangs, or they suffer from a mental illness, which leads them to making bad choices. When this happens, the best choice is to seek professional help from adolescent experts, especially in the area of troubled teens. Troubled teen boarding schools are available, and can provide a safe, secure, and enriching environment to help you teenage son work through the turmoil of adolescence to start on a path of success in life.