Unhealthy Teen Relationship with Dad:
The relationship of both the parents with their children reflect the behavior they will exhibit in later life. The adolescence is age of heightened emotions and a will to become independent and make own life’s decisions. Teens want to try out new things that challenge their emotional abilities and endurance as well as that of their parents. At this sensitive and emotional phase in a child’s life, maintaining and forming a positive, supportive and reciprocal relationship with your teen help him to develop emotional stability and strength. The major child development begins at home. Adolescents pick signals from their parents and the family atmosphere when it comes to developing a social behavior and friendships. A supportive family environment gives them confidence and the guts to establish healthy relationships with others.
Though it is said that the parenting style of the mother helps to understand the problematic behavior and mental health of the adolescent. It is also said that the environment of the whole family is important too. It is true to say that the rejection from either of the parents leads to social anxiety in adolescents that affects their friendships and personality.
The rejection of the father in adolescence leads to a changing pattern in friendships that causes loneliness and eventually a social anxiety disorder. The social anxiety disorder also called a social phobia, is the fear of getting into social situations that can cause considerable distress and an inability to perform in social environments. This cause the teen difficulty in maintaining healthy friendships, performs poorly in school, inability to perform on the field and eventually results in social isolation. When left untreated this can lead to symptoms of depression.
There is a dire need to build strong family bonds. Though all father-teen relationship do not lead to such serious consequences, but some can. Although adolescence is the time when your teen cherishes independence, but it is important or the parents to strengthen their bonds with their teens and pay close attention to their own patterns and behaviors. You must exhibit the skills and behaviors that you want to see in your children.
Here are the things you can do to establish strong family bonds.
- The teenage is full of physical and emotional changes. It is the most sensitive age of all. But your behavior can play an important role in your teen’s life at this time. Be sympathetic and make empathy a priority. Your child will try to test your emotional limits and drag you into horrible situations, but your sympathetic behavior will eventually create a positive and healthy relationship between you two. This, however, does not mean that you develop a passive parenting technique and leave your child to deal with his fate alone. This means that you have to connect with your child on a deeper level, make an effort to understand him, listen to him rather than lecture him all the time, show compassion for your child and make him certain that you are always there whenever he needs you.
- Take out time to spend with your adolescents. Although it is a hard job in this digitally fast growing and over burdening world to do so. But you need some time to focus on your child as well. The most important thing that your child needs now is your time although he does wants independence, but here id where the parents make mistakes. Your child wants independence, but he also wants you to listen to his adventures he wants you to understand why he chose to do a certain thing. He always needs your backing and support.
- Teenagers need emotional support and unconditional love from Parents.Though your adolescent has developed a habit of arguing with you, still you should not ignore his cries for help. You must help him develop his problem solving skills by working out solutions for his problems together. Your teen needs emotional support and unconditional love, this helps him to overcome the obstacles and difficulties in his life.
- Talk out your experience and difference of opinions with your kids rather than forcing it on them. Although it’s hard for the parents to let go of their authority, but you cannot spoon feed your child all life. He has to make his own decisions someday. Help him out by listening and talking to him.
The secret to build honest relationships and positive communications in the outside world lie in the supportive behavior of parents with their teenagers. Offer them quality time free of distractions, make time to listen to them and talk about your experiences, create a strong family bond and know that your adolescent will eventually be a reflection of yourself.