Parenting teens today can be difficult, but it can also be fun if the kids have grown up knowing their parents love them and are in charge. When teens don't have boundaries or don't respect their parents, lots of trouble can lie ahead. I have had many teenage patients say they wished their parents would set limits. That way they know how to act and they feel loved and safe. One author made the statement that " The time to disarm a teenage time bomb is when they are two." I certainly agree with that. I enjoyed my children's friends and I think they enjoyed coming to our house. One teen told me later that our house saved her because her mother was so unloving and so strict. At our house, she said she felt loved and wanted. Teens have to confront so many problems these days that I could write a book just about their difficulties. Self-esteem, bullying, anorexia, bulimia, suicide, drugs, and questions about engaging in sexual activities all come up for teens. Drinking and drugs are also something teens have to face. One study showed that 50% of parents had no idea that their children were sexually active. Teen pregnancies still are happening and as more Planned Parenthood Clinics are closed by the Republicans, teenage girls are put at great risk. I had no problem writing prescriptions for sexually active teens. I did not ask their parents' permission because knowing the parents, I was sure they would not have allowed it and the girls could easily have become pregnant. I knew their home situations were so difficult that having a boy friend was probably how they made it from day to day.
I wish doctors who give Botox for cosmetic reasons to teens would re-think what they are doing. Is making more money that important? Doing surgery on an underage girl because she doesn't like the size of her breasts, her chin, or nose seems wrong to me. Do these girls have such poor self-esteem that they have to resort to Botox and surgery?
Social media and the ability to send photos to others has created a great problem. In one study 20% of girls admitted sending nude photos of themselves to boys. What are these girls thinking and where are their parents? I think one answer is to have daily conversations with your teens, particularly around the dinner table and at night before they go to bed. I found telling each child goodnight in their own bedroom was a good time to really talk.
Yes teenagers have so much to deal with these days and it seems most of them cannot cope, so they end up committing suicide if they feel unloved.
Posted by: kacy | 06/20/2017 at 12:42 AM