Their Teenage Years: Understanding Why Your Stepkids Act That Way by Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Teenagers are not only a challenge for stepmothers.
It seems as though they were invented so that any adult who raises them will want to turn their bedrooms into sewing rooms instead of shrines when they finally leave the nest. After all, if sending kids off to college was as hard as sending them off to preschool, we might never let them leave home for good.
Biological parents bemoan the unpredictable and sometimes monstrous behavior that overtakes their previously darling offspring. Eye rolls, sarcasm and slammed doors seem to be part of the expected family paradigm when teens are present. Sometimes, even worse behaviors (like risk taking, substance abuse and defiance) can make raising teens a formidable challenge.
So, there is a common truth parents and stepparents share: The adolescent years stink! What is it about that four- to five-year period that makes teens seem like foreign beings? And, can anything be done about it?
Adolescents should certainly be held responsible for their behavior, but neuroscientists are discovering evidence that explains why teens can be so exasperating. …To read the rest of this article, log in to your account and download the July 2015 issue. Don’t have an account? Click here to subscribe.