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Take Control of your Teenager | No Thanks |
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| To the Troubled Teen-- Beware of False friends |
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It’s hard enough going through adolescence with a whole mixture of teenagers, but your troubled teen is in for an even harder time if he/she gets stuck with a group of false friends. There are teenagers out there that your teen should steer clear of. Sometimes it’s even these very teens who stick close to your child just for the benefits, but these types of false friends are fair-weather pals. Of course, you can’t be in the halls standing right next to your teen when he/she walks from class to class but you can warn your child about these types of ‘friends.’ These are the ‘friends’ who will be right at your side when they need an extra buck for lunch but won’t even flash your teen a smile when he/she passes him/her in the hall. These types of ‘friends’ can drain your teenager and leave him/her with negative feelings about him/herself. There are different types of false friends, try and warn your teen about the following: Blamers >This friend doesn’t take an ounce of the blame upon him/herself but instead makes sure to put it on others. Instead of being responsible for his/her own problems, he/she takes the easy way out and just blames others. Dumpers >This type of false friend won’t stop talking about his/her own problems. He/she has a one-way view of the friendship and gets the most that he/she can from it. Your teen may notice that almost every conversation he/she has with him/her leads up to the false friend’s own issues or problems. Unloading his/her stress on your teen is his/her way to keep afloat. Takers >You’ll only hear from this friend when he/she has got something that he/she needs from your teen. This type of false friend is an out of the blue pal that doesn’t intend on reciprocating your teenager’s listening ear. Teasers >This friend puts your teen down in front of others just to make him/her feel better about him/herself, but he/she says its only for your teen’s own good. He/she may offer criticism for a supposed cause. Here are some questions you can have your teenager ask him/herself about his/her friends in order to see through to their true nature: >Do I feel a balance of energy between the two of us? >After we spend time together, am I mostly tired or exhausted from strain or do I feel energized from a positive vibe? >Does he/she respect my beliefs and values or do I find him/her constantly forcing me to bend my beliefs? >When we’re together, do I generally feel better about myself? |
