Parents Guide - Surviving the Teen Years

The years of babies, bottles and boo-boos have passed, and you look over at your child and begin to wonder, "who are you and what have you done with my child?". If that sounds at all familiar to you, perhaps I should then welcome you into the teen years, and also forewarn you to hold onto your hat because you're in for what could be a very bumpy ride.

Entering into the teen years with your children can be an exciting and adventurous time, but it can also be fraught with confusion, anxiety and stress. For each parent who swears that their teens transition into adulthood was as smooth as silk, there are an equal number of parents who'll swear that their teen is the devil incarnate.

Unseen and bewildering changes are taking place within your child, whether immediately apparent or not, and your role and responsibilities as parent becomes even more important than that of changing multitudes of diapers or kissing scraped knees and elbows. While some parents may have very negative views of the teen years, it is a time of great opportunity for parents to help their growing children become the person they are meant to be.

Opinions on parenting teens vary widely amongst even the most renown "parenting experts", with published books and internet sites loaded with well-meaning parenting advice on dealing with what is often called the "tumultuous teen years". Simply doing a general online search for "surviving the teenage years" provides parents all variances of opinion on what works, and what does not, regarding parenting and dealing with teen issues. With so much information coming from so many sources, how do parents determine which advice to follow and which to toss aside?

When Does It Start?