Parenting Teenagers - Does Your Boy Or Girl Have Mood Swings?

Teenage is a complex period of transition and mood swings are normal.  Parenting teenagers is a difficult task. concerns about identity, free atmosphere of the college, sudden change in whole outlook, worries about appearance and friendship are just some of the things that grip teenagers. Add to this, the ebb and flow of harmones. All these factors result in an unpredictable mixture of moods; happy and outgoing one day, glum and depressing the next.

The teenage is the most turbulent stage of any one's life, this is the age when all the physical, hormonal and emotional changes take place and during this stageif he or she is not getting proper attention and guidance ot can lead to emotional imbalance and can have Mood swings.

Teenage is the most crucial age because at this age children are neither young nor adult. In this age they have many physical, psychological, emotional changes in their body which they are also not able to recognise and understand them resulting  mood swings which is a normal phenemena. At this age their behaviour pattern also changes.

Mood swings are defined as uncertainity between elation and degection. Extremes and predominate with the more moderate variations in between almost completely absent. Most researchers agree that it is a combination of biological and emotional factors that affect a teenager's mood.  There is another aspect to be looked into between 16 to 19 years of age when one can show the symptoms of mood swings (bi-polar disorder) if he has the genetic loading from his parents and grandparents of the same type of illness.  They need to be given proper attention and treatment if they require, after consultation from the psychologist/psychiatrist.

If your teenager or daughter starts having mood swings and stays out late, they it could very well be a sign that your daughter or son is in love. Swiss researchers  at the  Psychiatric university clinics found that teen sin the early stage intense romantic love were more prone to mood swings.  Parenting Teenager is a sensitive task and one should to know how to tackle it.

Parents Role:

First thing parents need to remember is that mood swings are part of the course with teens.  The challenge is to know when they need to be tolerant and when there is a real problem that needs attention Counsellor Harman Saini believes that parenting teenager in this condition is very important. He suggests,  "they should spend more time with their children, understand their anxiety with patience and wisdom, and need to have one to one dialogue with open mind without rejecting their ideas".

As adults, we need to set examples before the adolescents.  So it will not be wise to treat them with "tit for tat" policy.  Be like water and learn to flow with them.  Reinforce the right behaviour and refrain from commenting on the undesired behaviour.

The adolescent knows what is right and what is not.  They love to learn form experiment.  So give them freedom to discuss their experiences.  Remember that it is their temporary phase, so be wise in parenting teenagers.