Adolescence is a critical phase in a person’s life because it is a time between childhood and adulthood, when an individual hates being treated like a child, but is not in a position to take up all the responsibilities as an adult. This is a period when peer pressure is at its maximum and a rebellious attitude seems to come quite naturally. Of course, an individual’s hormones are also to blame for this as puberty plays truant with a person’s body as well as mind.
Teenagers are often extremely conscious about their looks and they actually reel under the notion that the whole world is watching them. They tend to become histrionic, flamboyant, and boisterous as they try to impress their opposite sex and compete against their own species. Parents usually get alarmed by the sudden increase in their overgrown kid’s expenditures on restaurants, parties, clothes and accessories, movies, discotheques, pubs, gyms, beauty salons, and what not.
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As if all this is not enough, the risk of substance abuse and sexuality issues is at its peak at this age. Unwanted pregnancies, sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, gender identity problems, and sexual orientation issues can affect an individual’s self-esteem for life.  Depression and mental health disorders in adolescents are known to increase incidences of suicide, homicide, and accidents in them. Many of them develop eating disorders and therefore have serious nutritional concerns.
Under such circumstances, it makes sense for parents to befriend their children at this age and to give them their independence and space. As friends, they will be in a better position to guide their youngsters properly and prevent them from going astray. Keeping your communication channels open all the time will increase the comfort levels between you and your son or daughter, so that he or she doesn’t have to think twice before approaching you with a problem. If you respect your child’s individuality and right to privacy, you will be surprised to find how much more he or she will confide in you and always keep you in the loop!
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Tags: Adolescence, Adolescent, Adulthood, Boisterous, Childhood, Communication channels, Depression, Eating disorders, Flamboyant, gender identity, Histrionic, Homicide, Hormones, Peer pressure, Puberty, Rebellious attitude, Sexual abuse, Sexual orientation, Sexuality issues, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Substance abuse, Suicide, Teenagers, Unwanted pregnancies, Youngsters
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