Wednesday, May 18, 2016

When Should Teenage Rebellion Be Something to Worry About?

Every parent of teenagers has to deal with one uncomfortable truth: teenagers rebel even when there’s really no good reason for them to. It’s a natural part of growing up and chances are very likely that you rebelled at some point too. But when is teenage rebellion something you should actively be watching out for? There’s a clear difference between a teenager testing limits and getting herself into danger. Here’s how you can identify the signs between normal teenage behavior and something much more serious and how monitoring your teenager’s iPhone can help you determine this.

When Rebellion is Normal
Let’s face it. Teenagers do weird things. A teenager might decide to dye his or her hair. They may announce one morning that they’re a vegetarian or they would like to convert to Paganism. These are all normal parts of growing up. Your teenager is figuring out their identity and who they would like to be. Your child’s teenaged years are a time for testing boundaries and questioning their place in the world.

In general, ask yourself a few questions when considering your child’s behavior. Are they behaving in ways that are safe? Is whatever they’re doing legal? Are they happy and otherwise healthy?

So long as your child is not doing anything illegal, they’re not putting themselves in harm’s way and they’re informed about their decisions, acting outside of the norm is usually okay. Just be sure you’re keeping an eye on them. We suggest installing monitoring software on your child’s iPhone, simply so you can make sure they’re staying safe.

When to Watch Out
But rebellion isn’t always safe or cute. Thousands of parents have had to deal with the harsh reality of a drug using child. Your child might also be trying to join a gang. Or they may be having unsafe, unprotected sex.

This is when you need to take action. Hopefully you’re already using monitoring software on your child’s phone. If not, install it promptly. The idea is that you should be keeping an eye on your child, no matter what they’re doing. While the software may have a price tag, protecting your child is priceless.

Be sure to keep an eye on the messages they send to their friends and where they’re going after school. Not all kids are crafty about hiding their behavior over texts but it’s hard to cover up their physical location when their phone is giving you the exact GPS location of their whereabouts at all times.

What to Do
When you know your child is up to no good, it can be difficult to take action.

Have a talk with your child. Don’t be afraid to ground them. Remove contraband like drugs and weapons from their room. You may want to consider removing their door depending on what’s going on. Get in touch with your child’s school counselor and ask about potential resources. It may be helpful to enroll your child in psychotherapy, especially if they’re acting out due to problems at home or mental health issues.

Continue to be a supportive, watchful parent. Remember, your child rebelling isn’t always a reflection on you. It’s important to make sure that you’re still the parent your children need at all times, without alienating them. It may be hard but it’s not impossible to deal with a rebellious child.

Monitor what they do on their cell phone with a cell spy stealth software. It can be important for you to see exactly what you're teen is talking about and who they're talking to online. To many kids now get in trouble online for posting things they shouldn't, getting tagged in something unnecessary or communicating with an online predator. Spy software is an app to read text messages on another phone, as well as a GPS locator app, call log listings and more.  


While your child may not say it now, your child will thank you for the support years from now. The worst thing you can do, after all, is to do nothing and simply stand aside.