You may increasingly find yourself in situations where you feel angry or afraid of your teen’s intense emotional outbursts and respond by shouting back, punishing or avoiding the situation. While these are perfectly natural responses, they generally do not help to resolve conflict situations. Teenagers require the support of their parents and others to learn how to manage their strong emotions in helpful ways.
Be an eParent®! Help your teen understand and handle powerful negative emotions. Send a text message to your teen apologizing for an argument gone awry. Set up a time to discuss the situation in a more peaceful environment.
As teens mature, they learn to understand, express and control more complex emotional experiences. Listening to the worries of your teenager and trying to put yourself into his or her shoes can help parents understand the reasons behind certain behaviors. Once you know the cause of these behaviors, you will be better able to suggest constructive ways of dealing with them. Sometimes your teen will be so angry that he or she cannot be rational. Allow your child to vent frustrations in order to calm down, but make it clear where the boundaries are and that cursing, insults, and threats will not be tolerated.
Read more about understanding your teen’s emotional health.
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Revised November 2018
