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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Teenagers

5 replies

Besparkle · 19/11/2024 19:49

Hi, how to deal with a 14 year old boy, who is totally disrespectful in many ways? 😔

OP posts:
maxelly · 20/11/2024 11:20

I mean depends a bit on what exactly he's doing but my top tips are:

-Pick your battles. With our oldest we really made the mistake of picking her up on every little thing that would have been unacceptable when she was 10 and expecting that she'd be as compliant as she was then, when really she'd quite quickly come to realise the limits of our power to stop her! So from then on and with the younger kids we made a conscious effort to let go the things that really didn't matter that much, some examples being tidyness/cleaniness of her room which although disgusting largely only affected her (we did make her bring out dirty crockery and glasses regularly), swearing so long as not swearing 'at' someone else, not doing her laundry regularly or not putting laundry in the hampers. I tried within reason to let school take the heavy lifting of implementing consequences, both my girls were very devils for ignoring/blatantly breaking school uniform codes but I did a fair bit of blind eye turning, I knew school weren't going to kick them out for coming in in too much makeup or with piercings in, they'd just get made it to take it off which is enough punishment in itself. Maybe that makes me a really terrible lazy parent but if that made the difference between actually getting out the door and to school in a sensible fashion or having an hour long crying and shouting argument making everyone late and upset, I took the former, sorry to their teachers Blush.

-Along the same lines, think carefully about 'punishments' or 'sanctions' - not saying don't use them but it must be within your power to enforce them baring in mind teenagers are pretty good at pushing the boundaries, and in particular don't use sanctions that make life harder for everyone else. If you can, positive reinforcements bribes are often more effective than negative ones. We used to use groundings but especially with our boys we found stopping them going to hobbies/sport and spending time out of the house was actually really counter-productive, their mood was so much better and hence their behaviour better if they got outdoors and burnt off some energy. Keeping them cooped up just got us into that horrible vicious cycle of where we'd sanction them for some misdemeanour, they'd be angry and frustrated and then do something worse, we'd feel the need to then escalate the punishment, they'd escalate in return and suddenly we were in a position where they were now grounded for the next 100 months, in arrears to the point of bankrupcy on their pocket money and all their gaming stuff taken away forever - at this stage they've essentially got nothing left to lose so might as well completely lose their shit at you! If you do use the negative consequences you do need to allow everyone a way to graciously back down without losing face e.g. allowing them to earn back their devices/money by doing chores at an inflated rate or similar.

-Try and treat them like toddlers - I don't mean patronise them and it can be hard to remember this when they're as big as an adult, look and sound like an adult and think they're an adult but their brains and emotional maturity very much are not - when they're stomping around shouting that you're a disgusting excuse for a parent and they wish they'd never been born because you tried to get them to do their homework, that's very much akin to a little 3 year old yelling 'I hate youuuu you're not my mummmmy' in the supermarket because you wouldn't buy them sweets - embarrassing and upsetting yes but they don't mean it or even really get the impact on you as a person, they're just venting emotions they don't know how to understand or control yet. Like with toddlers I would try and allow them choice and control where possible within boundaries (just like for e.g. with the toddler they have to have their dinner but they can choose the red plate or the blue plate, with the teen they have to do homework but they can do it now or later) and try not to get too upset when both choices result in wailing and tantrums. I promise they do come out of the other side of it as civilized, even pleasant/likeable adults, they honestly won't be like this forever!

Wahey79 · 20/11/2024 13:39

maxelly · 20/11/2024 11:20

I mean depends a bit on what exactly he's doing but my top tips are:

-Pick your battles. With our oldest we really made the mistake of picking her up on every little thing that would have been unacceptable when she was 10 and expecting that she'd be as compliant as she was then, when really she'd quite quickly come to realise the limits of our power to stop her! So from then on and with the younger kids we made a conscious effort to let go the things that really didn't matter that much, some examples being tidyness/cleaniness of her room which although disgusting largely only affected her (we did make her bring out dirty crockery and glasses regularly), swearing so long as not swearing 'at' someone else, not doing her laundry regularly or not putting laundry in the hampers. I tried within reason to let school take the heavy lifting of implementing consequences, both my girls were very devils for ignoring/blatantly breaking school uniform codes but I did a fair bit of blind eye turning, I knew school weren't going to kick them out for coming in in too much makeup or with piercings in, they'd just get made it to take it off which is enough punishment in itself. Maybe that makes me a really terrible lazy parent but if that made the difference between actually getting out the door and to school in a sensible fashion or having an hour long crying and shouting argument making everyone late and upset, I took the former, sorry to their teachers Blush.

-Along the same lines, think carefully about 'punishments' or 'sanctions' - not saying don't use them but it must be within your power to enforce them baring in mind teenagers are pretty good at pushing the boundaries, and in particular don't use sanctions that make life harder for everyone else. If you can, positive reinforcements bribes are often more effective than negative ones. We used to use groundings but especially with our boys we found stopping them going to hobbies/sport and spending time out of the house was actually really counter-productive, their mood was so much better and hence their behaviour better if they got outdoors and burnt off some energy. Keeping them cooped up just got us into that horrible vicious cycle of where we'd sanction them for some misdemeanour, they'd be angry and frustrated and then do something worse, we'd feel the need to then escalate the punishment, they'd escalate in return and suddenly we were in a position where they were now grounded for the next 100 months, in arrears to the point of bankrupcy on their pocket money and all their gaming stuff taken away forever - at this stage they've essentially got nothing left to lose so might as well completely lose their shit at you! If you do use the negative consequences you do need to allow everyone a way to graciously back down without losing face e.g. allowing them to earn back their devices/money by doing chores at an inflated rate or similar.

-Try and treat them like toddlers - I don't mean patronise them and it can be hard to remember this when they're as big as an adult, look and sound like an adult and think they're an adult but their brains and emotional maturity very much are not - when they're stomping around shouting that you're a disgusting excuse for a parent and they wish they'd never been born because you tried to get them to do their homework, that's very much akin to a little 3 year old yelling 'I hate youuuu you're not my mummmmy' in the supermarket because you wouldn't buy them sweets - embarrassing and upsetting yes but they don't mean it or even really get the impact on you as a person, they're just venting emotions they don't know how to understand or control yet. Like with toddlers I would try and allow them choice and control where possible within boundaries (just like for e.g. with the toddler they have to have their dinner but they can choose the red plate or the blue plate, with the teen they have to do homework but they can do it now or later) and try not to get too upset when both choices result in wailing and tantrums. I promise they do come out of the other side of it as civilized, even pleasant/likeable adults, they honestly won't be like this forever!

This is not my thread but exactly what I needed to read and have been sort of seeking for months! Thank you so much for posting that is all so useful.

TinyMouseTheatre · 22/11/2024 10:08

How are they at school @Besparkle?

Blahdeblah24 · 22/11/2024 10:26

Great advice @maxelly it's easy to lose the 'big picture' when you are caught up in day to day annoyances. It would just be so nice if they occasionally packed the dishwasher because it needed doing or put their stuff away voluntarily but I suppose they aren't going to act like adults properly until they reach adulthood.

I agree celebrate the successes though as that is much nicer for both you and teens and they will respect you more if they feel like you are on the same team even if you don't see eye to eye all the time.

Expertadvice4u · 18/12/2024 13:29

Dealing with a disrespectful 14-year-old requires patience, consistency, and understanding. Start by setting clear and firm boundaries about acceptable behavior and the consequences of being disrespectful. Consistency is key—follow through on consequences each time the behavior occurs.
Take time to calmly address the issue with your teenager, asking open-ended questions to understand what might be driving their behavior. Sometimes, disrespect can stem from underlying emotions like frustration, stress, or a need for attention.
Model respectful communication yourself, even in moments of conflict. Show them how to express feelings or disagreements constructively. Additionally, try to balance discipline with positive reinforcement. Acknowledge and praise respectful or cooperative behavior when it occurs.
Building a strong relationship through open communication, trust, and empathy can help improve their attitude over time. If the behavior persists or worsens, consider seeking support from a counselor or therapist who specializes in working with teenagers.
If you have time,try to read the e-book ":Bridging the Gap:A Parent’s Guide to
Talking with teens " for better results .

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