As a parent of a teen it can sometimes feel like all you do is give, give, give. In turn, your teen takes, takes, takes.
Out of all the ages and stages of life, the teen years tend to be some of the most selfish. You thought it was bad when your child was two or three years old and constantly screaming, “Mine!”
Its one thing to declare a toy as “Mine!” and quite another when a teenager feels the world belongs to them and it should oblige their every whim. Parents tend to be at the brunt of this.
I always find it funny when my teens get exasperated because they are ready to leave somewhere but my husband and I are talking to friends. Yet it’s no big deal when they are holding us up.
Or I love how I sometimes ask one of my teens to do something and they procrastinate. Yet when they need a ride somewhere, they want it now.
There are definitely moments in which teenagers can be very selfish. Trying to explain that the world really doesn’t revolve around them is sometimes a challenge.
While some of this just takes time and maturity to grow out of, there are things we can do as parents to help our teens along. One way is by not caving in to their every wish.
I know parents who jump when their teen says to. Then there are other parents who do everything in their power to make sure their teen is never uncomfortable.
There is nothing wrong with waiting. There is nothing wrong with a little discomfort. This is part of life and if they don’t learn it early on, it will make the adult years more difficult.
Feeling worn at times that your teen seems to only take and never give? Don’t take it personally. The good news is that it’s most likely a stage that will pass. Yet there are things we can do to help them move along.