Comments on: Temperamental Teens http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/ Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:55:04 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Barbara Frank http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/comment-page-1/#comment-606 Barbara Frank Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:03:22 +0000 http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/?p=112#comment-606 Thanks, Dawn, for sharing your story. It will reassure others! Thanks, Dawn, for sharing your story. It will reassure others!

]]> By: Dawn http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/comment-page-1/#comment-590 Dawn Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:56:58 +0000 http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/?p=112#comment-590 THANK YOU for posting this! I have been baffled by some writer's statements about teenagers not being teenagers years ago. Hormones still mess with their minds as their bodies are changing, and a little bit of rebellion (not the gun-toting, drug dealing type of course) is par for the course. It is part of the separation process that leads to adulthood. We have survived one teenaged daughter, and are in the midst of one son (17) and daughter (14) as well as a 17yo daughter who has mellowed out and loves her parents again. Parents just need to realize that as long as you are involved (homeschooling or not) and provide supervision (all the time!) your kids and you will get through it. Right now our 14yo is giving us some stress, but she'll outgrow it. Having a teen that is going through difficulty doesn't mean you're a bad parent. THANK YOU for posting this! I have been baffled by some writer’s statements about teenagers not being teenagers years ago. Hormones still mess with their minds as their bodies are changing, and a little bit of rebellion (not the gun-toting, drug dealing type of course) is par for the course. It is part of the separation process that leads to adulthood. We have survived one teenaged daughter, and are in the midst of one son (17) and daughter (14) as well as a 17yo daughter who has mellowed out and loves her parents again. Parents just need to realize that as long as you are involved (homeschooling or not) and provide supervision (all the time!) your kids and you will get through it. Right now our 14yo is giving us some stress, but she’ll outgrow it. Having a teen that is going through difficulty doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent.

]]> By: Barbara Frank http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/comment-page-1/#comment-577 Barbara Frank Tue, 27 Jan 2009 02:02:20 +0000 http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/?p=112#comment-577 You're right, Sandra, it <i>is</i> a challenge, but it doesn't go on all the time. There are peaks and valleys.....kind of like when they were little ;) You’re right, Sandra, it is a challenge, but it doesn’t go on all the time. There are peaks and valleys…..kind of like when they were little ;)

]]> By: Sandra Foyt http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/comment-page-1/#comment-569 Sandra Foyt Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:37:38 +0000 http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/?p=112#comment-569 Oh joy! With a 12 & 9 year old, we're just at the beginning of the roller coaster ride. We get mood swings from the oldest and temper tantrums from the youngest. The challenge is holding on to our cool! Oh joy! With a 12 & 9 year old, we’re just at the beginning of the roller coaster ride. We get mood swings from the oldest and temper tantrums from the youngest. The challenge is holding on to our cool!

]]> By: Barbara Frank http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/comment-page-1/#comment-560 Barbara Frank Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:51:56 +0000 http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/?p=112#comment-560 Tammy, it sounds to me like she might be depressed. Have you talked with her doctor about this? She needs to be out of her room and off the video games most of the time....doesn't sound healthy. JMHO. Tammy, it sounds to me like she might be depressed. Have you talked with her doctor about this? She needs to be out of her room and off the video games most of the time….doesn’t sound healthy. JMHO.

]]> By: Tammy http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/comment-page-1/#comment-548 Tammy Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:43:31 +0000 http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/?p=112#comment-548 I have a 17 yr old who uses her anger to keep her dad and I at bay. It works. She is the last at home and has been homeschooling since 6th grade (except for 1 semester her freshman year when she flunked all but one class). I can't get her on a routine, she refuses, she does not drive. She only has a few friends and sees them very infrequently. She wastes a huge amount of time playing WOW and will do days where she rarely comes out of her room. Every time we start to talk with her about school or most things, she explodes. She accuses us of harassing her and says she is stressed out enough with out us bugging her. She insists she knows what to do and will do it - she doesn't. She only got enough work done this past semester to gain a 1/2 credit. She is now on probation with her charter school and may not get to enroll for next year. I see no way out of this horrible routine she is in. She does work a small amount at our family business. But other than that she refuses to be responsible for anything. Anyone have suggestions? I have a 17 yr old who uses her anger to keep her dad and I at bay. It works. She is the last at home and has been homeschooling since 6th grade (except for 1 semester her freshman year when she flunked all but one class). I can’t get her on a routine, she refuses, she does not drive. She only has a few friends and sees them very infrequently. She wastes a huge amount of time playing WOW and will do days where she rarely comes out of her room.
Every time we start to talk with her about school or most things, she explodes. She accuses us of harassing her and says she is stressed out enough with out us bugging her. She insists she knows what to do and will do it – she doesn’t. She only got enough work done this past semester to gain a 1/2 credit. She is now on probation with her charter school and may not get to enroll for next year. I see no way out of this horrible routine she is in. She does work a small amount at our family business. But other than that she refuses to be responsible for anything. Anyone have suggestions?

]]> By: Barbara Frank http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/comment-page-1/#comment-535 Barbara Frank Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:48:11 +0000 http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/?p=112#comment-535 Kristy, I find the clingy/critical thing to be way easier than the 24/7 critical thing, but that's just me. As for your son, he might surprise you. Given enough (but not too much) independence, he may be your easiest, you never know. Gayle, you're not the only ones....I think it's the majority, really. KM, I wasn't talking about a specific book but rather the general tone of several articles I've read over the years. I do agree with you that less negative info and influence makes a big difference; otoh, it's hard to keep them away from all of that, even if they're homeschooled. And of course they'll still be faced with it after they leave home at whatever age, because the filth is just pervasive in our society. I also think that back when teens were kept busy helping to support their families on farms or by working and sharing their income with their families, they didn't get into trouble as easily because they were too busy! So yes, a rich society is not good for teens, as we see today. Thanks, everyone, for stopping by :) Kristy, I find the clingy/critical thing to be way easier than the 24/7 critical thing, but that’s just me. As for your son, he might surprise you. Given enough (but not too much) independence, he may be your easiest, you never know.

Gayle, you’re not the only ones….I think it’s the majority, really.

KM, I wasn’t talking about a specific book but rather the general tone of several articles I’ve read over the years. I do agree with you that less negative info and influence makes a big difference; otoh, it’s hard to keep them away from all of that, even if they’re homeschooled. And of course they’ll still be faced with it after they leave home at whatever age, because the filth is just pervasive in our society.

I also think that back when teens were kept busy helping to support their families on farms or by working and sharing their income with their families, they didn’t get into trouble as easily because they were too busy! So yes, a rich society is not good for teens, as we see today.

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by :)

]]> By: Gayle http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/comment-page-1/#comment-534 Gayle Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:28:09 +0000 http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/?p=112#comment-534 Ooops! That should have read "they aren't bad" they are changing. Ooops! That should have read “they aren’t bad” they are changing.

]]> By: knittymom http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/comment-page-1/#comment-533 knittymom Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:59:37 +0000 http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/?p=112#comment-533 Oh, darn it! I was really hoping to avoid that whole teenaged pitfall thing. And the gray hairs! My oldest is going to be 8 in March, and I sometimes quiver in fear as I think of him (and his 2 sisters) becoming teens. I'm already praying about it and for them. I wonder if homeschooling does cut out some of the behavior that we think as 'normal' in a teen. Certainly there are some behavioral changes (hormones are powerful things, after all!), but without having all the negative information bombarding them every day and the negative influences, perhaps those aren't as bad? I read somewhere (don't know where) that what we think of as 'normal' in our self-centered and rich society isn't really the normal experience of teenhood around the world and in the past (far past, not recent). Oh, wait, I think it might have been the book "Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World". (I haven't read your link yet, so I don't know if that was the author you are talking about). Any thoughts on that? Oh, darn it! I was really hoping to avoid that whole teenaged pitfall thing. And the gray hairs! My oldest is going to be 8 in March, and I sometimes quiver in fear as I think of him (and his 2 sisters) becoming teens. I’m already praying about it and for them. I wonder if homeschooling does cut out some of the behavior that we think as ‘normal’ in a teen. Certainly there are some behavioral changes (hormones are powerful things, after all!), but without having all the negative information bombarding them every day and the negative influences, perhaps those aren’t as bad? I read somewhere (don’t know where) that what we think of as ‘normal’ in our self-centered and rich society isn’t really the normal experience of teenhood around the world and in the past (far past, not recent). Oh, wait, I think it might have been the book “Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World”. (I haven’t read your link yet, so I don’t know if that was the author you are talking about). Any thoughts on that?

]]> By: Gayle http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/2009/01/15/temperamental-teens/comment-page-1/#comment-532 Gayle Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:35:07 +0000 http://barbarafrankonline.com/blog.php/?p=112#comment-532 Thank you so much for this perspective. You have blessed us with hope! My teens are bad just changing. It is wonderful to hear we aren't the only ones that are experiencing this! Thank you so much for this perspective. You have blessed us with hope! My teens are bad just changing. It is wonderful to hear we aren’t the only ones that are experiencing this!

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