Three Signs Your Teen May Need Your Help

by Laura C. Jones
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For any teen, there’s a time in their life when they will really need your help as a parent, and in many cases, they may be afraid to ask for it. Whether it be bullying, falling into the wrong crowd, relationship troubles, or even falling into the trap of addiction, which so many sadly are at present, they will need advice, guidance and love, and support.

Whether it be as little as a shoulder to cry on, or as serious as help in finding help with alcohol, they’ll need you to be there, but just might not have the courage to say so.

So, how exactly do you know they need you?

Well, there can often be telltale signs that your child needs your support, including…

Mood swings

You’ll generally see their attitude shift a little, and you’ll encounter mood swings you’re perhaps not used to from them. Unusual behavior as a whole can set alarm bells ringing, and mood swings can mean all manner of things. But ultimately, it boils down to them needing help from you.

That’s why it’s important not to be too disciplinary when it comes to bad attitudes, as it could be a cry for help, and you’re never going to get to the root of the problem by punishing them for it.

Bad grades at school

Performance at school is another clear, telltale sign that there’s something not quite right. Kids do want to do well at school, and they do know the importance of it.

Bullying, falling into the wrong crowd, peer pressure, and even problems at home can all lead to the downfall of grades or poor behavior in class, and it’s something you’ll find out about pretty quickly when the school rings home.

But what can you do? Punishment feels like a necessity, but again, it’s about getting to the reason “why” this is happening.

New friendship groups or fallouts with friends

We never want our children to fall in with the wrong crowd, but it can happen, and it can lead them down completely the wrong pathway, with the likes of alcohol, drugs, and crime a real worry for parents.

New friendship groups can, of course, be good, but if you start seeing your teen acting differently, more secretively, or falling out with other friends due to this, it could be time to step in and see what’s what to make sure your teen’s life stays on track.