common teenage problems

Common teenage problems

The teenage years are fraught with all kinds of problems. A parent needs to understand the different pressures a teenager faces in order to help your child through all of them.

physical features

One of the biggest worries for adolescents is their appearance. Changing body shape, hair in unlikely places, spots breaking out - no wonder teenagers spend so much time looking in the mirror.

If your teen isn't happy with what they see - and few are - it can dent his/her self-esteem.

Try to avoid making jokes about your teen's appearance - even if it's meant in a light-hearted way. It's also a mistake to make light of something that worries a teenager, even though it may seem silly to you.

Try to explain that other people rarely notice the kind of detail we notice in ourselves.

Encouraging a teenager to feel good about themselves solves a great deal of the problem.

failure

Some teenagers take failure - in exams or relationships - in their stride and get over it relatively quickly, but for others it can seem like a major crisis. You need to help him deal with his emotions before you help him deal with failure effectively.

Reassure your teenager that your love and support is not contingent on exam grades. If your teen doesn't get the grades expected, help him to keep it in perspective - everyone has some setbacks in life. He can always do resits. Reassure him that you're behind him 100 per cent, and help him to review all the options.