Many parents are confused as to what to do when their teenagers become disrespectful.
In this article, I would like to address what you should do if your teen is disrespectful.
If your teen is disrespectful it may be because, somewhere along the line, he has been allowed to get away with it.
What you thought was “cute behavior” back in the day, is now ugly.
When your kids are young, if you tolerate the slightest bit of disrespect without quick and severe consequences—don’t be surprised when—along with puberty—that disrespect blossoms into something much more than “slight” or “cute” behavior during the teen years.
You’ve allowed a precedent to be set.
If your child is already in their teen years, it’s not too late! Have a heart-to-heart with Junior. If need be, involve your child’s youth pastor, counselor, or mentor. During this heart-to-heart, apologize for your part in the complicit role of allowing such behavior in the past. Then let Junior know about your new focus on addressing disrespect.
No matter how cute it may seem, if your child has not yet reached the tween years, start addressing disrespect today. Tomorrow, you’ll be glad you did.
