4 Troubled Teens Blog

Teenagers runaway for a multitude of reasons. Some are trying to escape truly abusive and destructive homes. Others are simply frustrated, feeling like they can't meet their parents expectations; or perhaps they are dealing with something they don't feel they can share with their parents.

In a column in the Windsor Star, psychotherapist Barbara Burrows advised the mother of a teen runaway not to turn her back on her daughter:

Certainly parents will recognize how worried, guilty or upset they can feel about troubles with teenagers. Teenagers hide very well the fact that they usually feel as desperate as parents. Teens may even feel that they have ruined any hope that parents could ever love them again. ...

The more you can keep trying to reach her and approach this problem without getting too upset, the more you help her understand that whatever problems she faces, things are manageable. Teach her by your example, that through discussion, there is a solution to life's most difficult dilemmas.

Leaving home can be a traumatic experience for teens as well as parents. But responding to the problem in a calm, reasoned manner can help end the crisis and improve the substance and quality of the family members' relationships with each other.

Labels: runaways, teenagers, parenting_help

Posted By: Aspen/CRC