Five Things to Watch Out For If You Are a Mom of Teens

Being a mom is not an easy task, especially when your children aren’t small children anymore. The teenage years are one of the most awkward and uncomfortable periods of someone’s life. This is mainly because of all the changes the teenager goes through, including their body and mind. It’s essential to recognize their behavior as something natural and that it will pass, but in the meantime, you have to understand them and give them help if they need it. And this is not easy either! Here are some of the things you need to watch out for.

Low Self-Esteem

This is one of the most typical problems teenagers face. Some signs of low self-esteem in your child include: not knowing to take compliments, fear of being a failure, and low motivation. This can affect their ability to make friends and participate in school. Now, some of the things you can do to help them are to give them healthy reinforcement and be kind to them. Some causes of low self-esteem are stressful life or bullying. Being extremely critical of your children can also cause low-esteem during their teenage years. Besides, lots of the time, this problem is related to…

Depression and Anxiety

Both of them will affect how your teenager acts and behaves. Common signs of depression include losing interest in things they enjoyed or a feeling of never-ending sadness. On the other hand, anxiety is more related to having a sense of doom without an apparent reason. They both can affect your child’s healthy teenage years. However, it might be hard to tell the difference between your teen being moody or depressed.

One of the things you can do is see if it affects their school performance or interpersonal relations. If it does, maybe it is time to see a therapist. You should also consider the help of a therapist if your teen self-harms or if you are worried about your teen’s safety.

Acting Out and Peer Pressure

Most teenagers want to fit in. That’s one of the principal reasons they are so vulnerable to the pressure of their friends to do certain kinds of things, including substance abuse. If your primary concern is your teenager struggling with drugs, you may need professional help. The signs will depend on the substance, but if you have your suspicions, you need to treat them with caution, and you can’t accuse them of doing so because they can get defensive. Fortunately, there are special programs dedicated to addiction help for adolescents who can support you on this. 

Starting An Intimate Relationship

It can be uncomfortable to have “the talk” with your teens. Even if it’s weird, it still is a parent’s responsibility. To start this conversation, you need to be available to answer some questions your teen might have, like: When will I know if I’m ready to become intimate with my partner? Remember to educate your teen on anything else they might ask, like contraceptive methods.

Don’t scare them or tell them that being intimate with their partner is wrong. Instead, make sure your teen understands that relationship intimacy is their choice and that nobody should ever pressure them into doing anything they don’t feel comfortable doing. You should also make your beliefs, personal values, and expectations clear from the beginning. That way, it would be easier for your teen to understand your position in all of it.

Cyber Addiction

We all need the internet. However, when teenagers spend all day on their laptops to the point where they mess up their school grades or how they get along with others, maybe it’s time to intervene. Some signs like excessive internet use are clear. But some other symptoms aren’t that subtle, such as anxiety while being away from their laptop. Or choosing to be on their phone rather than going out with their friends.

In the USA, internet addiction is not an official diagnosis. However, in some other countries like China, this is considered a clinical disorder. Already recognized variants of this include video game addiction, or also called “gaming disorder.” In 2018, this last one was added to the International Classification of Diseases. You need to watch out for internet addiction signs since some consequences in the long term include trouble sleeping and migraines.

Even if it’s considered a wonderful gift, being a mom is an arduous task. This is especially true if you are a mom of teenagers. Because of that, it’s always important to know your children and to be careful of any change they might have in their behavior. That way, if something’s wrong, it’ll be easier to know. Besides, the sooner you realize what they’re going through, the sooner you can help them.