U5 essay1
Dustin Turley
Salt Lake Community College
U5 Essay
FHS 1500
OPTION B: ADVICE TO PARENTS
Just one question. How can parents help their teenagers deal with the conflicts of adolescence?
From experience I can tell you that the adolescent years are some of the most difficult years of life to try and maneuver through. Over the course of about 6-8 years from the age of around 10 until adulthood many changes in the body, mind, as well as social changes occur at a rapid pace.
As hormones begin to rise in adolescence, puberty begins to happen. This is where a huge onrush of hormones jump start youth into sexuality and their full adult physical development (Berger, 2014, p.319). These new changes to the body and mind can be very hard on a young growing kid, and these changes can be just as hard for the parents of this age group. As these developments within their bodies and minds begin to mature it can be very confusing and new for an adolescent. There will be times where they might feel like they need space from adults as they figure out their path as well as times where they are looking for new excitement in their newly developed bodies and minds.
Becoming their own adult is the process taking place and this might mean that your child will need more guidance than ever, even though they might push back more than that have in earlier developmental stages. As stated in the text the prefrontal cortex is the last part of the brain to fully mature hence a teenager’s drive to find new and exciting sensations (Berger, 2014, p. 321).
This is the part where being a parent at this time will start to be difficult. You may see your once very sweet child going through some emotional ups and downs. You will see them start to make their own decisions as well as trying to take that leap to being more independent. It is hard to say what exactly a parent can do for their child in this times because of situation is different and relative. But what from I remember the thing that worked for me the most as an adolescent was my mother simply being supportive of me.
One very important part of becoming a young adult is getting to decide how to express yourself in your own unique ways. Being a young misfit skateboarder kid, who had tattoos, big holes in my ears, it wasn’t easy being my parent I am sure. But having gone through this process three times before me, my mother had it down. The most simple yet complex thing a parent can do is support their child as they make decisions. Too many times parents are trying to push and pull their child in the direction that they want when sometimes all they need is a little support. Plus when you push and pull to hard you run the risk of a major backfire that can lead to loss of a close relationship with your teen and distrust between the two.
This is all easier said than done and of course there will be the times when you do need to intervene in some of the decisions your child is making but when it comes to one expressing themselves its sometimes better to just let it be. Try and understand and help make suggestions, try to help them make the right decisions but try not to take away from their very personal experience with growing up. Simply, that is all the advice I have for parents helping their teens in adolescence.
References
Berger, K.S. (2014). Invitation to the Life Span (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers