Dealing with Teenager mood swings

It’s so often that you’ll be told, children outgrow this behavior and that season shall pass. From the demanding newborn period, toddler tantrums, the questions from your six year old, and to the teenage mood fluctuations. Well, before you start dealing with who your child may marry in their twenties or career choices, passing all these other stages successfully is important. How exactly do you get to handle, understand and stay put as a parent of a teenager with such dynamic mood swings?

Understand the changes of puberty
Aside from the first year of a child’s life where you encounter exponential growth, puberty is another stage that attracts similar growth. Whether male or female, your child will go through body changes that are accelerated by the presence and activity of hormones. As a result, mood swings becomes a factor to deal with. As adolescence proceeds and your sons chest is broadening or your daughter’s chest blossoming in breasts, know that this is expected.

Put yourself in their shoes
As a parent, it is easy to push your opinion down the throat of your opinionated teenager. To help you maneuver this stage that can easily turn explosive and brew a lot of parent-child conflict, get to understand their side of the story. Empathize with them at all times. It may seem like their reasoning is below yours, but having an open ear and heart to learn as well as take the opportunity to teach or instill values is a better approach. You’ll have saved yourself from long days and nights where your teen acts like you’re non-existent by being gloomy towards you.

Engage them in a conversation
Nothing pleases teens more than being listened to and valued. Getting to create a healthy environment where they actually express themselves, their most sincere thoughts and feelings works to your parenting benefit. This is possible by avoiding passing judgment on them, reminding them of their past mistakes and weighing the pros and cons of their suggestions together. Get to know the mind of your teen so that they know you are a safe haven to be at. That way, it’s possible to help them navigate their insecurities, body image issues as well as challenges in their adolescence like peer pressure, drugs and sex exposure.

Encourage activity involvement
A bored teenager is a ticking time bomb. However, a teen who is constantly engaged in activities that they like gets an avenue to release some steam. Consequently, they become less irritable and are easy to remain happier for longer. Engage your teen in activities they possibly like, while also encouraging them see the bigger picture of those you recommended that teach certain values yet they dislike them. Remember, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.

Let it cool off
Sometimes, all you need is to give someone some space to navigate through their own emotions. Allow yourself to grant your teenager some time off and let them contemplate their actions. After all, for someone who wants to be treated like a grown up can now have an opportunity to act like one. Grown ups face hard feelings all the time and have to learn to manage them well.
Encourage your teen through the season and purpose to have an open relationship with them. There’s nothing as magical as being friends with your teen.