Teens vs Parents

Welcome to the year 2008 - where violence rules television, sex is played out through music and teens are lost struggling through these images.

Teens are dealing with so many things in this stage in their life. They need help choosing the right path. It only makes sense for the older generation to encourage and help today's generation, seeing as they have already experienced what modern teens are going through (to some extent, anyway).

Parents of 2008 have their hands full with protecting their kids from the pressures of the media, not to mention helping them make the decisions they face every day, with respect to their plans during and after high school. Guidance is so important at this stage, but some parents don't realize just how important it really is.

Teens versus their parents is an ongoing challenge, where teenage rebellion often leads to parents giving up. At this stage, teens want their parent or parents to feel they can trust them. They want to be treated with respect as a young adult, rather than a child. They want respect as a human being, like everyone else. But what parents might not know is, no matter how much their children rebel, they will always need someone talking them through things they can't handle themselves.

The teenage years are such a critical time in everyone's life. Teens are trying to understand themselves in these years, so when their parents offer their opinions, it means a lot, even if this sentiment is hidden. After all, no one knows each other better than family.

A strong relationship is imperative between a parent and a child. An encouraging parent can make the teenage years so much easier. Every teen needs someone to be there for them; no matter how miserable they get, they will need someone there to try to understand.

Teens versus parents is an ongoing problem - one that is probably without a cure. But just doing the little things, like asking how their day was, can mean the world. Children need the love of their parents, and, regardless of how well-hidden it may be, teens still love their parents. Regardless of how much rage and frustration is taken out on them, teens still need a nurturing family.

Is Oppositional Defiant Disorder seen in children below seven years of age and teenagers?

According to ICD-10 this type of conduct disorder is characteristically seen in children below the age of 9 or 10 years. All children are oppositional from time to time. They may argue, talk back, disobey and defy parents, teachers and other adults. This is a natural part of growing up. Children tend to be particularly oppositional when they are hungry, tired, stressed or upset. There are also times in a child's development when oppositional behavior is more common: between the age of 2-3 years old and teenagers. These are developmental stages when it is important that children can try their own will and they need to learn how to handle new and conflicting emotions.

What we can do for our children, when they go through these developmental stages, is to be good role models. We need to show our kids that there are ways to control your impulses. Show your child you understand his/her problem. Try to engage him/her into problem-solving, where you can express what you want and then try to find solutions which you both can accept. In time your child will grow up to be compassionate person in charge of his/her own emotions.

Because oppositional behavior is very common in pre-school children and teenagers one should be very cautious about making the diagnosis of ODD during these periods.

However, a child's inoperativeness's and hostile behavior becomes a serious concern when it is so frequent and so consistent that it stands out when compared to other children of the same age and developmental level and when it affects the child's social, family, and academic life.

In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (DSM-IV) Oppositional Defiant Disorder, ODD, is described as a pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient and hostile behavior toward authority figures that persists for at least six months and is characterized by the frequent occurrence of at least four of the following:

• losing temper
• arguing with adults,
• actively defying or refusing to comply with the requests or rules of adults
• deliberately doing things that will annoy other people
• blaming others for his or her own mistakes or misbehaviour
• being touchy or easily annoyed by others
• being angry and resentful
• being spiteful or vindictive.