How to Respond to a Disrespectful Teen

The teenage years are difficult for many people; it is important to remember this when handling a disrespectful teen. Teens experience a lot of pressure from the outside world to act a certain way, even though they are not yet adults with the emotional capacity to handle all situations. If you are having problems responding to a difficult teenager, there are steps that you can take to help the teen and yourself develop boundaries and appropriate behavior.

Instructions

    • 1

      Model appropriate behavior to your teen by being respectful of others around you. Do not act disrespectful yourself and then expect your teen to act differently.

    • 2

      Respond to disrespectful behavior firmly but calmly. Do not engage the teen in a fight. State the rules, why the behavior was disrespectful and what will be done about it.

    • 3

      Punish the teen immediately and appropriately for the behavior. Taking away privileges is a good way to show the teen that you are serious about stopping said behavior. For example, you could take away the teen's cell phone or driving privileges for a set amount of time. It is very important to follow through with the punishment that you decide upon.

    • 4

      Give the teen the benefit of the doubt the first time the behavior occurs. Let her know that you still believe in her, but the way she treated you was not okay.

    • 5

      Walk away from disrespectful behavior instead of engaging the teen in a fight. Remember that you are the adult in the situation and have much more power than the teenager.

    • 6

      Reward the teenager for behavior that is respectful. Praise goes a long way with a teen as it does with most people. Spend time with each other even when your relationship feels rough to show that you still care.

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