Teen Health Issues

I remember when I was a teen, I also used to feel the same about my parents as most would do now. According to me,

“my parents were orthodox and conservative;

they tried to rule my life and take away my freedom;

they tried to poke into my personal matters and privacy;

they do not trust me and being over-protective;

they are misusing their power to make me feel that I am a kid, I have no brains, I cannot do things on my own, I need to follow their path, I cannot make decisions

and lots more …”

I am doubly sure that most teens would definitely agree with me on this never ending list of complaints. But I realized things like – “how it were and how it should have been; why it were this way and why not the way I wanted; who was wrong and who was right”; as I grew older out of my teen mind.

It was very obvious and needed at that time. Parents were never our enemies. They are our well-wishers. As long as we are with them, we are their responsibilities and of course ! we are born out of them, so we are very precious to them in every way. They would never want us to be in any problem in our life. They also would have passed through the same feelings when they were teens. So they can understand things better and have a broader outlook towards life. But we teens, as per our mind set and of course the immature brains forced us to behave this way. Its not a fault made by anybody. Its the age, the surrounding, the aggressive blood, the youthful energy; that creates the chaos.

Lets magnify the picture taking few examples. How many of you think their “parents are tough to be dealt with” ? How many of you think “parents scold us for any reason and anything we do” ? “Parents do not understand the present scenario and the fashion trends.” How many would agree on this ? How many parents say “my children are spoilt and are of no use“? “How many teen feel the problem is a “generation gap“? Uhhh…! I know most of you would agree to it. In fact I also agree, because I also used to think the same when I was a teen. And trust me ! there’s nothing unusual about it.

But I feel its is a mutual thing which can be sorted out with an effective communication between both. I remember few of my age-mates during those days used to be their parents pet at home and also would enjoy life to the fullest with us. They never used to complain of their strict, conservative and protective parents. Instead they used to say their parents were very open-minded, broad-thinkers, lively and welcome new things in life. But this never mentioned that their parents used to set them free for all odds, not have a closer look into their child’s life nor check what is wrong and what is right. Of course, they did all of them but in a very effective way, which most parents do not do taking time and patience.

Such things have made a narrow boundary between two categories of parents; the Door Slammers and the Door Openers. Who are the Door Openers ? The door openers do not show immediate responses conveying a judgement or a behavior. And the Door Slammers stands just the opposite. lets consider a few lines to distinguish if your parents are Door Openers or
Door Slammers.

Are Your parents a Door Opener ?
Do they start with -

“What do you think about the …?”,

“Would you please tell little more about …?”

“Oh ! That’s a good question. Well, …”,

“As of now I don’t have any idea about it, but I’ll try to find out …”,

“I would like to hear whatever you are saying”,

“Have you ever given a serious thought about what it ?”,

” Does that sounds important to you ?”,

“Shall we talk about it ?”

and many more such open-ended talks.

Hope your parents do not use lines like –

“You are a kid, you should not do this”,

You are too young to understand”,

“If you say that again, you will be …”,

“Mind your own business”,

“That’s none of your business”,

“I care a dam what your friends are doing!”

It does not matter what they are doing ?”,

“We’ll talk on it when I would like to”,

“That’s just for boys (or girls)”,

“Who are you to ask me that ?”,

“Why do you want to know that ?”,

“I don’t need to answer you on that”,

“You don’t need to know about that”,

“Don’t come to me after you …”

If they use any of the above lines, then you are blessed with Door Slammers !