I spoke at a retreat for teenagers a few months ago and saw a central theme throughout the group. Student after student shared deep, personal struggles about home life, school, and social pressures. While each kid shared a story, the rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement. I heard one word over and over: anxiety.
While anxiety is a buzzword lately, I have some important insights for parents. I learned the truth about the teens who struggle with it.
The reality is that there is a lot of anxiety caused by parents. You may be to blame, in your teens’ eyes, for some of the anxious thoughts and struggles they face.
Here are 5 reasons why.
1. You haven’t established boundaries.
Your teens may not say this, but they want rules and boundaries. Lack of boundaries leaves them directionless. Boundaries help teens to know they are not alone. Boundaries help them learn and grow while having you as a safety net. Anxiety caused by parents comes in when teens feel like the boundaries are too tight or too loose.
What you should do:
Evaluate your boundaries. Do you have any unspoken boundaries?
Read the rest of this article at All Pro Dad.
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