Teenagers: When Parents Are In Denial

Parential denial is rampant as teenagers take drugs, binge-drink and become obese. With excessive drinking and drug-taking among today's teenagers just when will parents realize exactly what their kids are up to. There is a definite faultline when it comes to parents taking a reality check in today's society. It is like parents deliberately blinker themselves "what I do not see is not happening".

Professionals working at ground level in schools, colleges etc., are realistic. Absenteeism is rampant and particularly on a Monday due to teenagers partying, taking drugs and binge-drinking. The kids are too hungover or tired to attend school and parents are too busy to observe this behavior. There is also denial at offical levels which allow these teenagers to fall through the net.

It is up to parents to take the initiative and ensure that their teenagers are on the right track. You may get a few arguments, throwing of the eyes to heaven or complete shutdown from your teen however this is far better than having to go to the police station to collect a drunk teen. The embedded attitude in today's fast-paced society seems to be that things will work out on their own. However, the amount of teenage depression in the US over the past few years has proven this wrong.

If your usually energetic, talkative teenager shown any signs of depression, alcoholism, drug-taking then it is your responsibility to seek professional advice. Do not echo the sentiments of many and think that you can handle this alone as you may be taking on more than you can handle. If your teenager is convicted of taking drugs or arrested for possession, do something now rather than think it is only a phase they are going through.

Not all parents fall into this category as some are highly "with it". This does not mean that they are au fait with the every movement of their teenagers however it does mean that they want to know where their kids are, how to contact them and talk to their children about the dangers of peer pressure. Give your teenagers freedom if they earn it, let them be optimistic however watch out for pitfalls.

Possibly one of the hardest thing about being a parent is to know when you are overstepping the mark and actually being too intrusive. You will learn this as you go along as nobody was issued with a hand-book about teenagers. You have to grow with your kids and learn when to hold on and when to let go. Take the initiative and become more involved, take interest in your teenagers lives and be socially aware of who they are hanging out with. In most cases, you will go through the tantrums of intefering, the silent treatment or even be shunned by your teen however this is a much better option than to end up in the morgue looking at your dead child's body and saying "I should have......