What To Do When Kids Rebel?

Wednesday, August 29, 2012, 17:55 [IST]

Are you worried that your kids are rebelling too much these days? Rebellion is a natural process of growing up so you need not be worried about it unless it is doing some physical harm to your kids. Most of the times, it is teenage kids who rebel against their parents. However, that is not a rule that hold good in today's times. Now a days, even kids of 5 rebel.

Parenting teens or kids of any age group for that matter is a difficult job. Some of these parenting tips can help you when your kids start rebelling.

Catch Them Young: The first time you smell rebellion in the air, you must become alert as a parent. Do not ignore signs of rebellion if your kid is not a teenage yet. If you buy some clothes for your 5 year old girl and she refuses to wear it, then that is the first sign of rebellion. She is refusing to do what you want and that defiance will become a habit if you don't manage it now.

Never Crush Rebellion: History is witness to this. Any attempts to crush a rebellion has only resulted in bloodshed. So, take that as a precedent and tread carefully. We have already said that rebelling is a process of growing up and it is hardly practical to expect unflinching obedience from kids these days. Harsh measures like beating, screaming etc will not yield results.

Be Reasonable With Them: The age from 12 to 17 is loaded with strange teenage problems. For kids of this age group, friends are always right and parents are always wrong. So if you are parenting teens, you have to break out of the adult mode and be a friend to them. Recall your own teen life; that will make you more compassionate towards your kid.

Catch The Trend: Teens applaud themselves for being very up to date and trendy. They already consider you backdated because of the generation gap. So if you hold on to old school ideas, they will brush you off as 'oldies'. You must be updated with the latest trends in fashion, music, entertainment and technology to keep up with your kids. In that way, they will consider you their equal.

Known Enemy Is Better Than Unknown Friend: It is better that you know everything about your kid than be blissfully unaware of the unpleasant details. Always encourage your kids to tell you everything. Even if you don't like what you hear, you will have all the information. If you feel that your kids don't trust you, then it is probably because you are too judgemental.

When your kids rebel, take it as a positive sign as they are growing up. Your job as parents is to help them get through the difficult 'growing up' years.