Make sure your expectations for your teen are realistic. Don’t expect your teen to live on a higher character level than you do yourself!
Isn’t it frustrating to see your own shortcomings in your teen’s behavior? In an effort to protect your teen from the pitfalls of your own faults, you may be expecting an unrealistic level of behavior. Take time to stroll down memory lane sometimes. You may recall your own teen years, and you may recall that you did some things even sillier than your teen! Remembering your own journey through life is vital in relating to others in their journey.
One moment your teen will be in “adult” mode; a few hours (or minutes) later, he will be in “child” mode. It’s very difficult to keep up with your child as he grows up. Just about the time you’ve adjusted to one phase of behavior, he will be going on to something different! This is true throughout life and in all relationships. Try to react to your child according to his current phase. And allow your “adult” teen to regress often to “child” teen without being too critical. Remember how hard it was to grow up? Those teen years are such emotional roller coasters. Frankly, I don’t envy anyone the journey through those years!
Certainly a parent should have expectations and should sometimes be very firm in those expectations. However, remembering your past will cause your teen to see the attitude of humility in you and will help him or her respond without rebellion.
