As teens, we are experiencing a constant rate of change.
Nearly everything in our lives are coming and going at random times, and it can begin to feel as if we have nothing to depend on. Many of us forget about the most important people in our lives: our parents.
Research shows that having a parental figure continues to be crucial in a child’s life, even during adolescence. Of 84% of teens surveyed in a Child Trends Research Brief agreed strongly that they think highly of their mother. More than half said that they wanted to grow up to be like their mother, and more than three quarters said that they really enjoy spending time with her.
Combine these facts with what you know from experience and observation, and it simply doesn’t make sense; we idolize our parents, and think highly of them, but do we really show it?
I would venture to say that the majority of teens have, at one time or another, snapped at their parents for something completely beyond their control, such as a fight with a best friend or a relationship that suddenly came to an end. The old adage, “actions speak louder than words” comes into play in this situation.
Another excerpt from the Child Trends Research Brief reads, “even an adolescent’s own parents can despair and wonder how their loving child has apparently become so rejecting.”
The bottom line is this; it doesn’t feel good to be taken for granted. Why would we want to make some of the most important people in our lives feel so low on our list of priorities?
More than likely, this is not what most of us have intended to do, but we just get so overwhelmed with all of the other complications that life brings, and the treatment of our parents takes a back seat to everything else.
For the lucky majority of us, our parents will still be there at the end of the day; through the ups and downs, the hardships, and the mistakes that come along with adolescence. However, this does not give us a free pass to mistreat them and take them for granted. If you are fortunate enough to have parents who support you and always will, that is not something to take lightly.
Blog by Alyson Graham
