Without a doubt, we all remember with a smile the things we went through and felt when we were teenagers. During this wonderful stage, you likely stood up for your beliefs, searched for a self-identity to gain acceptance from your friends, worried about your appearance, and started to experience attraction towards others.
Now, if you have teenage children, you might understand them a little; however, we must be aware that they have their own pace of maturity, that times have evolved, and that the context in which we live has completely changed.
For these reasons, we cannot expect our children to act the same way we did, as they are living in different times with different friends and situations. Common problems in adolescence may be similar due to the hormonal and physical changes that occur during this phase, but we cannot generalize that everyone will experience the same thing.
Unconditional Love
It is important to know the common problems our children may experience in adolescence, as some of them can lead to tragic outcomes if not detected in time and given help, which we would regret. For this reason, we share the following information:
1. Social Acceptance
In a survey on social acceptance and rejection among teenagers, it was found that most choose their friends based on school tasks, that is, how intelligent and responsible a classmate is. Another important point of acceptance is friendliness—how fun and funny their partner is.
This issue of acceptance becomes a common problem in adolescence, as boys and girls become more selective in choosing friends, prioritizing common interests, which in this case are school goals, rather than play, as in childhood.
Your children may be experiencing the fear of not being accepted, and this will certainly affect their self-love, self-esteem, security, and confidence. They may withdraw from society, preferring to remain isolated and detached from the rest. This attitude can harm their future relationships.
2. Eating Disorders
It is common in adolescence to present the problem of eating disorders and behaviors, especially in girls but also in some boys, due to the pressure they feel from not being accepted by their circle of friends. Resorting to bulimia or anorexia seems to be the solution to maintaining a slim body and thus feeling more secure; however, unfortunately, they will not feel well physically or emotionally.
If you observe that your children have constant episodes of "binging," where they eat excessively and uncontrollably, only to go to the bathroom to vomit, or on the contrary, do not eat anything for several days, hiding food in their backpack to later throw it away, it is a clear sign that something is wrong and you will need to intervene as soon as possible.
3. Rebellion
In this phase of adolescence, it is common for various conflicts to arise between parents and children, because often they will not agree with the established rules and limits. For them, the most important thing is to feel free, find an identity, and have independence; this is why they resort to rebellion to get attention, as a way of expressing themselves and defending what they want.
Your children may behave rebelliously if boundaries are not set; keep in mind that the problem will not only be at home, but also at school and wherever they are.
At this point, it is worth noting that, as a consequence of rebellion, another common problem may arise: addictions. Keep in mind that teenagers are interested in being accepted by their circle of friends, so they may be influenced to try alcohol, drugs, or tobacco.
4. Sexual Orientation
Another common problem in adolescence is sexual orientation, which is caused by hormonal and physical changes. Some teenagers are still trying to identify their orientation, so they might say they are homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual.
The issue is that during adolescence, hormones are awakened, and this is when unintended pregnancies or diseases can occur.
It is important to keep the lines of communication open with our teenage children so they know that their parents are willing to help, guide, and support them. Respect their privacy and learn to reach agreements with them in each conflict, so both parties benefit; this will make living together much better.