Parenting tips: 5 common problems your teens could be facing

Dealing with a teenager as a parent can be an overwhelming experience. On the other side, being a teenager isn’t easy either. While sometimes parents may find their teen to be “overreacting” or “disrespecting” or not expressing enough gratitude for all the comforts in their life, almost every teenager is bound to go through a phase where their life feels nothing short of a rollercoaster.

If you have open communication with your teen, then chances are you may be in loop with their share of troubles. However, teens can also get too secretive of their life and issues owing to multiple reasons. Here are 5 such common problems that teenagers often go through, in varied degrees subject to their environment, personality and other factors.

As a child hits puberty, advancing towards their teenage years and into adulthood, their body will undergo a lot of changes – which may hamper their self-esteem if they are unable to accept these changes as natural.

Almost every teen will go through a phase where their face would be loaded with pimples, still it is natural for them to feel awkward and embarrassed. Other common bodily changes include height, weight, body hair and menstruation.

It’s important you keep a tab on how your child feels about their body. Instead of making them feel ashamed of their body hair or small height, as a parent you need to ensure your kid is happy and comfortable in their own skin.

Bullying tends to be more pronounced among teenagers. It could be physical or even verbal. Cyber-bullying has also spiked with the rise of the Internet and social media.

It is important that you talk to your child about neither bullying anyone, nor getting bullied. In case someone does bully them, make your child comfortable enough to tell you about it. A bullied kid may experience loneliness, sadness, depression, anxiety, sleep changes and changes in eating patterns.

The teen being bullied may start to show less interest in things they previously enjoyed and also may experience heightened feelings of loneliness and sadness. They also may experience depression, anxiety, sleep changes and changes in eating patterns. In some, it could even affect their academic patterns or their overall health.

If you discover that your kid is being bullied, talk to them calmly and find a solution by calling out the bully. Your child should be afraid or carry this fear in their future.

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It is natural for kids, especially in their teenage years, to compare themselves with their peers. In fact, this is something that we do even before and after our teenage years. Maybe as a parent, you too can’t stop yourself from comparing your “success” from other parents based on their kid’s behavior, personality or happiness.

So, comparing oneself to someone else is totally natural. But we have to ensure that this does not negatively overwhelm your kid and make them insecure about themselves and the life that they have. The best way to do this is by demonstrating yourself the qualities of confidence or satisfaction, or any other quality you want your child should possess.

Children are curious about things they are forbidden – such as consuming alcohol or trying drugs. In this digital age, your teen may already know a lot about different kinds of liquor or why people smoke cigarettes or do drugs.

If you want to protect your child from these harmful substances and habits, it is important to have a clear conversation with them about the harmful effects these substances can have on their body. Underage drinking is anyway illegal, so maybe you can tell your teen that they can try drinking in controlled quantities once they become an adult. This may help, instead of tabooing the whole issue and leaving your child curious for answers. Also pay attention to your teen’s company as if their friends drink or smoke, your child could fall under the pressure to follow them.

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During their teens, your child may often feel lonely and that no one is there for them or able to understand them. While some kids have friends they tell almost everything about their day, you may find a new distance between you and your kid.

Know that it is ok as long as there are no red flags. Your child is growing up and would be wanting more space. However, you also have to be there for them, else they could feel that you are no longer bothered about their life, like you used to be when they were little.

The best way to ensure both ends are well tied is to have healthy, friendly communication with your child. Along with asking how their day went, tell them your feelings, thoughts and experiences. A healthy relationship is a two way street to share and receive each other’s thoughts and experiences.