Single Parenting A Troubled Teen

Parenting a teen is tough job, especially when the parent is a single mother or a father. In most cases, it is seen that single parents struggle to live up to the expectations of the child and vice versa. Teenagers are sometimes a challenge to handle, due to the fact that they have constant mood swings, can be obsessive and impulsive. Under such circumstances, constantly adjusting to the demands of one's teenage daughter or son can be quite difficult. Single parents face the humongous task of facing the adversities associated with having a teenage child.

The single parent needs to clarify certain things with the teen, as it will help them to understand each other better and to facilitate a better relationship between the two. The parent must set specific guidelines, regarding what he/she considers to be acceptable or unacceptable behavior. The child's behavior is also dictated by the reason for which the parent is single. For instance, the child's parent may be divorced, which the teen was strongly opposed to. Under such circumstances, teens may demonstrate violent behavior, especially if they do not want to live with the parent.

Conditions when one of the parents dies, leaving the other to care for the teenage child may also have a dramatic affect on the teen. However, single parents must avoid overtly pampering their child to the point of spoiling them. They must be strict with them according to the demands of the circumstances. The parents must make a strong bond which persists and thrives on trust and respect with the teen. The single parent may take the teen out for an outing or relaxing somewhere for a movie or perhaps a pizza. This will help them know each other better, reducing chances of misunderstandings in the future.

In this fast paced era, miscommunication have significantly increased between parents and children. The situation becomes even tougher if it involves a single parent handling a teenage child. Besides this, the parent is also under an added responsibility to earn the bread and butter as well as take care of the child. Parents who lead a very busy lifestyle may find it quite difficult to cater to the needs of the child, but under any circumstances they cannot avoid it. A teenage child requires more attention than an adult and therefore every single parent must help their child out, no matter how busy they are.