Teenager Bad Behaviour: 3 Myths Every Parent Should Know

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Why do teenagers behave badly? It’s rarely deliberate. As parents, one of the more difficult times of child rearing occurs when our children blossom into teenagers. Teenagers are maturing into young adults and want more freedoms and fewer rules they have to follow as they become more independent. As a result, it can bring about some of the hardest disciplinary struggles parents have to face.

Many teens are prone to sulking, lying, arguing and rebelling when they want to do something that goes against established household rules. Other times they are acting out simply because they still want their parents’ attention, but are not getting it as much as they did previously.

These outbursts in bad behaviours can often leave parents wondering if they did something wrong or are not doing something they should. This has resulted in a number of myths evolving over the years and ending up on Facebook or some other social media website.

After all, if you read it on Facebook it must be true? Right? Not so fast. Much information on social media is not accurate or reflective of your own teenager. Each teen is different and the reasons for their bad behaviours can and do vary from one to another.

Myth #1: More Severe Punishments Will Get Rid of Undesired Behaviours

Some parents think that by making punishments more severe it will help correct their teens’ bad behaviours. However, as punishments increase in severity, it could actually cause your teen to rebel even more and become more secretive about their life. If you’re struggling with discipline, exploring family communication strategies can be a more effective starting point than escalating consequences.

Myth #2: Your Teen Is Acting Out and Behaving Badly on Purpose

Some parents actually believe their teenager is acting badly deliberately. Yet, if you remember back to your teenaged years, you might remember that you had very little control over the changes that were occurring inside your body – the same is true for your teenager. Just keep in mind that some teens have a harder time going through puberty than others. The hormonal and neurological shifts are real, and they affect mood and impulse control.

Myth #3: To Get Your Teen to Behave Better, You Should Reason with Them

Reasoning is not an effective parenting tool because your teen is undergoing a host of mental and physical changes right now. The part of the brain that allows one to use deductive reasoning is not yet fully developed in teenagers. This is why teenagers tend to be a bit more impulsive when making decisions and do not always think about the consequences of their actions. Instead of relying on logic alone, parents can benefit from learning structured approaches to managing challenging behaviour.

What Is the Right Way to Get My Teen to Behave?

There is no one method that works for every teenager. What works for your teen’s issues may not work for another teenager. It can be beneficial to speak with a counsellor to learn a combination of different things you can try to find what works with your teen. Counsellors at Bayridge work with families across Ontario and are trained in evidence-informed strategies for adolescent behaviour, including parent coaching and family therapy.

In addition, your teen could benefit from their own individual counselling sessions in a caring, supportive, and judgement-free environment. At Bayridge Counselling Centres, our team includes registered psychotherapists, social workers, and psychologists who specialize in adolescent mental health. For further details about counselling and to schedule an initial consultation, please feel free to contact Bayridge Counselling Centres at 905-319-1488 today.