How to Recognize if Your Teen May Be Struggling

If you think your child is struggling or troubled, it is best to take immediate action. While it is tempting to deny a problem rather than to face it, the first step towards a solution is to acknowledge that the problem exists. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Signs of a Struggling Teen

1. All teenagers get angry. What you need to determine is whether your child's anger is out of proportion to whatever caused the anger. Does she become belligerent if things don't go her way? Teens who are suddenly and repeatedly becoming angry for no apparent reason may have a behavior problem.
2. It is not unusual for a teen to miss an occasional curfew. However, if your child is regularly missing curfew or not where he told you he'd be or lies about where he's been, you need to determine what is causing his behavior.
3. Many teens experiment with hairstyles and clothes and frequently change their image. You need to be concerned if your child changes her friends, doesn't let you meet her new friends, refuses to discuss the situation and changes her appearance and attitude to better fit in with her new friends.
4. All teens have secrets from their parents. But if his door is always closed and he's reluctant to open it and he appears to be sneaking around or avoiding contact with you, you need to determine why he is behaving in this manner.
5. Being late or absent from school, a sudden and unexplained drop in grades or loss of interest in activities she formerly enjoyed may indicate your teen is struggling.
6. You should be concerned if your teen has stolen money from you or always seems to inexplicably have a lot of money.
7. If your child has been getting in trouble at school or with the police or has become involved in fights when she previously wasn't, you need to find the cause of this change in her behavior.
8. While teens often try new and sometimes strange diets and tend to go to bed and get up later than they previously did, your intuition is likely to tell you if this is normal teenage behavior or whether something else is going on.

Tips & Warnings

• The sooner you acknowledge a problem and begin to address it with your child, the more likely you will be able to help your child resolve what is troubling her.
• If you believe you child to be in danger or in serious trouble, seek professional help.