Switched-On Magazine

I do not know a single teenager who has never had an argument with their parents. For that reason, I was surprised when I first started researching this months article: Google searches for TEEN PARENTS, TEENS GETTING ALONG WITH PARENTS, HOW TO GET ALONG WITH YOUR PARENTS and several others resulted in a slew of webpages telling parents how to get along with their teens with the occasional site on how to deal with divorce. It is my opinion that parent-teen relationships are a problem for teens as well; it is upsetting to argue with your parents, especially if it happens all the time.

Why is it that there are relatively few resources for teens about this huge issue? Perhaps people think that teens do not want to get along with their parents; instead, they would rather that their parents just disappear most of the time? Or maybe people think teens can not do anything to fix problems with their parents? Personally, I don't think either one of those explanations is the case. Most teens that I know would like to have a better relationship with their parents, and both parties in a relationship of any kind can influence how the relationship plays out.

Anyone who has ever had a squabble with their parents knows that that is easier said than done. Parents are always around, and they are always a source of restriction on teens actions. Even when parents are very chill about letting their teens do what they want, there are still a lot of things that no teen would do in front of his/her parent. So, what do you do when your mother is on your case about something or when you would rather do just about anything than go home and deal with your father?

One way to approach the issue is to treat the parent-teen relationship with the same care as you treat friendships and relationships with a boyfriend or girlfriend. That is to say, whatever the problem is, talk it out. If you can not approach your parent, talk to someone else about the problem, or write about it in a journal. This does not mean to go complain to your friends with no intention of doing anything about the issue. Gossip backfires just as much when it is about parents. Expressing yourself in a non-vindictive way, however, is an incredibly powerful approach. At the very least, it will help you get control over your emotions, and at best it will yield a successful solution or compromise. Another powerful resource is teen hotlines, including the National Runaway Switchboard, that you can call if you need someone to talk to confidentially.