Understanding Adolescent behavior

Once a toddler, taking minuscule steps on the floor, learning to walk with the support of our creators…falling at several junctures…being in a confused state of mind at every succeeding minute…seeking approval of ourselves and our decisions on a regular basis from our peers and parents…sometimes getting into conflicts with the very people whom we seek help and get love from…Parents seem to be ‘road blocks’ on our way to a free and happy go lucky lifestyle. But have we ever seen the story from the other side?
The period of ‘stress and storm’, ‘ADOLESCENCE’ which the adolescent goes through, is the most difficult period for a parent to deal with.
At this stage of development the adolescent undergoes various physiological, emotional, cognitive and social changes. Conflict with parents is a major contributor to the turbulence of this period. The contrasting desires of both the entities contribute to the increasing variance. Parents definitely face difficulties relinquishing control, resulting in inconsistent communication and potentially escalating negative consequences for all involved. As this conflicting atmosphere becomes a daily affair, the time that the child spends at home also declines.
Communication plays the most important role in this phase for the child as well as the parents’ life. Most of the parent-adolescent clashes tend to be about mundane issues such as personal appearance, curfews, usage of telephone, completing chores, choice of friends and many more. Parents are constantly worried about loosing control over their innocent but growing child’s life and thus resort to regular monitoring of all their activities.
This behavior of the parents is interpreted as an interference, which makes life full of chaos, bedlam and stress. This occurs as a recurring cycle resulting in dysfunctional family relation.
Parents must adopt a balanced but friendly attitude towards their children, thereby helping the child to surpass this convoluted stage of life with ease and comfort. This will not only assure the child of the love and considerate attitude of parents towards him or her, but would also weave a relationship of friendliness and openness between the two.