I can’t imagine that it’s easy to be a parent to teenagers. Teens feel their emotions deeply and have so much pressure to succeed; it’s no wonder they take it out on their parents. I don’t want to brag, but my sister and I were pretty easy teenagers to parent. We didn’t sneak out to go partying, we didn’t scream at our parents and tell them we hated them, and we took as much responsibility for ourselves as one can when they’re 16 years old. We were doing our best not to be juvenile delinquents, and it showed. 

I think some parents have the wrong idea that teenagers act out to drive their parents up the wall intentionally. Most kids are dramatic, and it’s up to the parents to react appropriately and give their kids the tools to deal with pubescent emotions. The following parenting texts aren’t great examples of parenting gone right, whether it’s parenting teens, kids, or beyond.