Adolescence is a transitional phase between childhood and adulthood. Many parents dread this period, as it is when their once cheerful and energetic child may turn into a moody and unpredictable teenager. Hence, understanding how their social and emotional development progresses at this stage will make parents able to relate to their adolescent’s struggles and give valuable insights.
What drives these changes?
Adolescents undergo rapid psychosocial development, which affects the way they think and make decisions. This is driven by the surge of sex hormones at the time of puberty. The fluctuation of oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone is responsible for regulating their moods, besides bringing about physical changes and secondary sexual characteristics. These transformations, coupled with peer and societal pressures, influence their body image and self-esteem.
What are the common changes?
Every adolescent is unique and has different ways of adapting to their new body and environment. Some familiar social and emotional changes they showcase may include:
- Developing a new taste for fashion, personal appearance, music, and other subcultures. A few will turn to celebrities as their role models and imitate their styles.
- Forming stronger friendships with their peers and getting involved in romantic relationships. These may cause them to spend less time with their family and become more private with their personal lives.
- Having intense and unpredictable moods that make them easily irritable, sad, and frustrated. Extreme mood swings, however, can point to mood disorders, which are quite common among adolescents.
- Seeking autonomy and responsibility as part of their search for identity. They have a strong need to make their own choices, but without supervision, this can lead to some risk-taking behaviours.
How can parents be supportive?
It is not easy for parents to get accustomed to these changes. Even so, they cannot afford to let their adolescent go astray without proper guidance; therefore, these few approaches should be put into use:
- Be a role model: Adolescents observe the way their parents interact and solve conflicts. If you want your teenager to behave in a way that reflects positive values, like being kind and responsible, you should model these values in yourself.
- Communicate effectively: Encourage your adolescent to open up about the challenges they face by providing a safe space. Avoid being judgmental about their personal choices and show interest in what and who they spend their time with.
- Educate: Adolescents are often embarrassed to ask their parents certain questions. This way, they might look for answers from unreliable sources, so always take the initiative to discuss their studies, hobbies, relationships, and troubles in life and share your thoughts whenever possible.
- Stay vigilant: Their quest for autonomy might lead them to make poor choices and practise high-risk behaviours like cigarette smoking, substance use, playing truant, and aggression. Always keep an eye on their behaviours, and also ask for feedback from their teachers and peers.
- Interfere when needed: If you sense something is wrong with the way your adolescent is behaving, step in calmly. Try to work out the problems and solutions by communicating with them in a respectful way, and seek professional help if the problems are beyond your capabilities.
As parents, watching your child mature into an adolescent is definitely a sombre experience. Nevertheless, this is the perfect time to lay the foundations for a healthy and meaningful adult life by making impactful changes in your teenager’s social and emotional development. So, parents should always do their best to guide their adolescent throughout this period.
