How to Cope With a Moody Teenager
Recognize that hormones have a significant impact upon mood., Remember that your teenager’s brain is still developing., Remind yourself that your child isn’t enjoying being moody., Look back on your own adolescence.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Recognize that hormones have a significant impact upon mood.
Your child’s moody behavior has physiological foundations.
Puberty hormones flush often-overwhelming levels of chemical input through your child’s developing brain.
Note that hormones present in adults can operate differently in teenager.
Adult brains experience the hormone THP, for example, as a calming influence; in your teenager, THP produces heightened anxiety. -
Step 2: Remember that your teenager’s brain is still developing.
Humans’ frontal lobe
-- the part of the brain responsible for impulse control, judgment, and decision-making
-- doesn’t fully mature until we are in our early 20s.
Your child’s brain is quite literally still under construction, even as the rest of his or her body may begin to appear “adult.” , Your child is struggling to cope with the confluence of hormonal change, body changes, developing identity, pressure from friends, and a developing sense of independence.
No wonder he or she is acting out! They may be frustrated, confused, or even scared by the changes taking place in their lives.
Your child needs you to provide stability and support
-- even if he or she is telling you something quite different., Perhaps the best way to understand your teenager is to remember what it was like to be one yourself.
Think about your own triumphs and struggles, and consider how your parents experienced them. -
Step 3: Remind yourself that your child isn’t enjoying being moody.
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Step 4: Look back on your own adolescence.
Detailed Guide
Your child’s moody behavior has physiological foundations.
Puberty hormones flush often-overwhelming levels of chemical input through your child’s developing brain.
Note that hormones present in adults can operate differently in teenager.
Adult brains experience the hormone THP, for example, as a calming influence; in your teenager, THP produces heightened anxiety.
Humans’ frontal lobe
-- the part of the brain responsible for impulse control, judgment, and decision-making
-- doesn’t fully mature until we are in our early 20s.
Your child’s brain is quite literally still under construction, even as the rest of his or her body may begin to appear “adult.” , Your child is struggling to cope with the confluence of hormonal change, body changes, developing identity, pressure from friends, and a developing sense of independence.
No wonder he or she is acting out! They may be frustrated, confused, or even scared by the changes taking place in their lives.
Your child needs you to provide stability and support
-- even if he or she is telling you something quite different., Perhaps the best way to understand your teenager is to remember what it was like to be one yourself.
Think about your own triumphs and struggles, and consider how your parents experienced them.
About the Author
Andrea Sanders
Specializes in breaking down complex crafts topics into simple steps.
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