Having a teenager keeps you on your toes. Between their mood swings and their seemingly endless appetite, your home life can get a little chaotic.
If your teen is blatantly breaking the rules, though, home life can become a lot more than just chaotic. Their behavior can become a major source of stress and anxiety that permeates every aspect of your life.
If your teen keeps sneaking out of the house, you know how much it can disrupt the entire family. You’re worried for their safety, and you’re angry at their carelessness.
How could they disregard everyone else in the home over and over again?
You don’t know where they are or what they’re up to. What if they get hurt? What if they get arrested?
If they do something illegal, it could change the direction of their life, and it would undoubtedly cause more upheaval in your own life. When your teen keeps sneaking out of the house, you need to take serious action.
Some teens who exhibit defiant behavior benefit from attending a therapeutic boarding school for troubled boys. While at the school, they receive personalized treatment from professional therapists to address any underlying issues. They also continue taking classes to receive high school credit and attend life skills training sessions.
Addressing sneaky teenage behavior
As your kid grows up, they’re bound to test your patience from time to time. Maybe they flirt with breaking the rules, or they might try to see just how much sass they can get away with before crossing the line. A little teenage rebellion is to be expected.
Some teens, however, don’t seem to care about the rules at all. They are determined to do what they want, no matter the inconvenience to everyone around them.
Sometimes, this shows up as blatant, in-your-face rebellion. Other times, your teen might seem to be sorry for upsetting you, but then they do it again anyway.
Here are some tips for addressing sneaky teenage behavior:
Have conversations with them about it. During these conversations, try to keep your cool. Don’t hold these conversations right after they’ve gotten back home while you’re still angry. Give yourself time to cool off, then talk to your kid. Let them know why you’re so upset when they sneak out and why you’re so worried about them. Make sure they understand the dangers of sneaking out and why you don’t allow it.
Try to understand why your teen is sneaking out. Talk to your teen about why they’re sneaking out. Are they leaving to go meet up with a boyfriend or girlfriend? Are they going to parties to drink or do drugs? Are they hanging out with their friends and just roaming the streets? By understanding where they’re going and what they’re doing, you can help them address the root cause of the issue.
Set consequences for their behavior. Make sure your kid knows the consequences of sneaking out. Then hold firm on the consequences. If they think they can weasel their way out of the consequences, they’re more likely to do it again.
Monitor their electronics use. Teens these days mainly communicate with their peers via electronics. If your teen is proving that they aren’t trustworthy, you may need to monitor their electronics or remove them altogether.
Monitor their movement. If your teen keeps sneaking out of the house no matter what you try, you might want to make adjustments to your home to make it more difficult to sneak out. This could include adding bells or alarms to chime if a window or door is opened. You could also do random checks of their room to make sure they’re actually at home like they’re supposed to be.
If your teen son keeps sneaking out of your house, no matter how you try to prevent it, he may need outside help. At Sundance Canyon Academy, our therapists have worked with numerous families with defiant teens.
Contact us today to find out if our school can help your family.