The 11 Most Common Problems With Teenagers, How To Solve Them?
Do you have problems with your teenage son or daughter? Don’t know how to communicate with them? Discover the most common situations with teenagers and how to solve them.
There are many and very diverse problems that teenagers face today, which usually causes difficulty in the relationship with their parents. There are many fathers and mothers who do not know how to deal with this stage and all the adolescent problems that arise, which causes frustration, discomfort, restlessness and/or tension.
There are a series of common causes why teenage problems The main reasons are the following:
They reaffirm their identity
First of all, it is necessary to take into account that these problems in adolescence They arise because adolescents want to affirm their identity, which causes them to flee from any activity or behavior that reminds them of when they were children. This is essential both to understand and to adjust your behavior to this new feeling that your son or daughter has and begin to solve it taking into account their opinions, for example, requesting their opinion for some change that you are going to make at home, or to carry out the menu of the week. This type of attitude will make him feel adult and, therefore, you will help him in the work he is doing to affirm his personality. Reaffirming identity is one of the most common adolescent problems since it is a transition stage between childhood and adulthood.
Group acceptance
Another important point to keep in mind is to be aware that in this process that your son or daughter is going through towards maturity, the only people with whom they feel safe to contrast their new vision of things is with their parents or guardians since these are the only ones who have unconditional love towards them. In fact, they know that if certain attitudes they show at home are carried out outside it, they will be rejected, something that worries them a lot at this stage. Since they need to be accepted by the group. In this way, one of the problems in adolescence they face is being part of a social group without losing their identity. This leads to many frustrations that can lead to certain conflicts at home.
They are guided by impulses
Furthermore, an important fact to understand because they are guided more by impulses and emotions is the fact that the brain matures from back to front, that is, the last area of the brain that matures is the prefrontal cortex, which is in charge of planning. and impulse control, among other functions. Therefore, one of the problems in adolescence is that adolescents are often asked to behave in a way for which they are not yet prepared at a maturational level. This does not mean that you should not talk to them and guide them on what the most appropriate behavior is, but it is positive that you take this aspect into account so that you do not get frustrated and so that you can empathize with your son or daughter. Through empathy and understanding you will have more tools to know how to solve the problems of these ages so complex.
During the adolescence, problems They are one of the most common situations experienced by both adolescents and parents. In this way, we can say that there are a series of problems common to this stage of our life:
1. Physical changes
One of the most important transitions during adolescence They are precisely the physical changes that are experienced during this stage. Both girls and boys go through a series of processes that can cause them certain insecurities in front of others.
2. Emotional problems
During this transition to adulthood one of the teenage problems most perceived by their environment are the emotional ones. Hormones are the main precursors for adolescents to have many changes in their emotions during this time. During adolescence, the first sexual feelings also arise, which can trigger thoughts and feelings of guilt or shame.
3. Behavior change
Each of the overwhelmed emotions perceived during this transition can trigger problems with teenagers So much so that precisely the constant flow of emotions ends up leading to certain impulsive attitudes that are poorly tolerated by the adolescent’s environment. These may include questioning parental rules, taking new risks to explore their limits, among others.
4. Substance abuse
Adolescents are at a stage where they feel very vulnerable to the influences of others. Therefore, one of the youth problems of these ages is precisely the relationship with conflictive environments that can trigger substance abuse. This happens because during adolescence people want to be part of a social group and therefore, they want not to stray from the norm.
5. Educational challenges
Educational changes between childhood and adolescence are also significant. Although the brain is developing and it is important to advance in knowledge, it may be that the emotional problems of this time pose a challenge that slows down their academic performance. So much so that on many occasions the teenage problems They can go hand in hand with certain frustrations in results at school.
6. Health problems
Some of the teenage problems related to physical health can be a consequence of poor eating habits. So much so that in these stages many of them end up suffering from poor nutrition due to all the emotions they experience during this stage. These types of situations must be closely monitored by parents since this is an age where eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are more likely to appear.
The emotional roller coaster of emotional and hormonal changes can lead to a mental health problem. Social phobias, depression and panic disorders are some of the most common problems in adolescence
8. Relationship problems
It is during this stage that you begin to feel the attraction for sex. This happens since it is during this time that the sexual and reproductive organs develop. In these situations it is completely normal that the teenagers are problematic with their social relationships.
9. Sexual health
One of the problems in adolescence that should be avoided at all costs are those related to sexual health. In many cases, adolescents adopt certain risk behaviors in these situations that can lead to sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies.
10. Social media addiction
One of the most common problems in adolescence today is precisely addiction to social networks. The constant use of the mobile phone as well as the interaction with strangers can trigger some problems in the life of the adolescent Additionally, internet addiction can affect your academic performance.
11. Aggression and violence
This is one of the behavioral problems in adolescents more experienced by boys (although some girls can also suffer from it). Changes in the body and hormones can lead to certain aggressive attitudes in adolescents.
The adolescence It is a stage in which we face many different problems. It is precisely because it is a time with all these challenges that we must try to understand and help our children get through it in the best way possible. Despite this, if you think that your children are going through a bad situation that you cannot overcome, it may be a good idea to consult with a professional psychologist.
How to solve problems with teenagers?
We can follow a series of Guidelines to improve or maintain good communication with a teenager that will help them face all of these teenage problems
1. When setting limits
Limits are still necessary, since adolescents are not yet prepared to self-regulate and manage certain situations. In fact, many of them appreciate these limits since, on the one hand, it allows them to feel safe and protected, and, on the other hand, you are showing them that you care, that you love them and that you care about them.
Now, it is necessary to take into account when solve a problem They are no longer children, so you have to make an adjustment when it comes to setting limits. To do this, it is essential to negotiate, never impose, because by imposing you will only make him reveal himself or distance himself from you.
Let’s take an example, your son or daughter has several exams next week and wants to hang out with his friends for a while. If you strictly prohibit him from meeting his friends, he will get angry and perform very poorly during the time he is studying. However, if you reach an agreement in which he or she studies a couple of hours in the morning and an hour before going out in the afternoon, you will both reach a point that benefits both what you want and what he or she wants.
2. How to act when you see that he or the teenager is overwhelmed
It is not uncommon for a teenager to confront his parents, to rebel or defy them. When these situations occur, most parents oppose their children, trying to correct their behavior at that moment. This is practically impossible. Therefore, it is best to tell them that you will talk about this topic later and, in this way, you will not enter into their fight, since, in these fights, parents usually end up exhausted and with no results, but they rarely become exhausted. Remember that one of the issues for which a person mobilizes the most energy Teen It is to affirm their personality, which they do in contrast to what they have been taught up to that point. Although this is one of the most common problems in adolescence, we should not pay less attention to it. In these situations we must act wisely to be able to resolve it in the best possible way.
Don’t take this personally, sometimes they are harmful, but it’s not that they don’t love you, but rather that they want to get away from everything that reminds them of when they were children, and that’s where your rules and your attempt to impose your ideas come into play. When they are calmer, it is time to tell them briefly and concisely that you did not like that behavior and that you hope they correct it. It is very positive to think between both of you what the most appropriate behavior would have been.
3. What topics to talk about
Fathers and mothers want to talk to their sons or daughters about transcendental topics, about the future, emotions, drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. But, although it is important to discuss these issues, you should leave it for when you see that your daughter or son requires it, since they think they know everything and this causes them to block the communication that you direct in this direction. It is when they share something of this type that you should listen to them carefully, without judging and perhaps have space to share some experience. For them to have and seek this support, it is necessary that you talk to them daily, but about superficial topics, for example, find out about the music they like, or about that sport they practice, so you will have something to talk about with your daughter or son. and communication will not be broken. In this way, he or she will try to communicate with you to talk about each of their problems in
