Have you ever wondered what really PO’s your teen? It’s kind of hard to find out because so often they simply shut down around us (mom and dad) and don’t really tell us anything, or on the other side of the spectrum, a flood of a story comes pouring out among tears and sobs, and we sometimes find ourselves wishing for the silent treatment again.

Well, I took a survey of 100 teens a year or so ago, and I was perhaps just a little surprised to find that our teens get PO’d at exactly the same thing we do! Here’s a list of the top 10 items.

1. People that lie and are two faced
2. Being labeled
3. When people don’t listen
4. People that are fake
5. Parents that pry into my life
6. Nagging
7. People pushing my buttons causing a fight
8. Teachers that pick on you
9. People who are judgmental
10. Parents/people that ignore me because the think I’m too young.

Now this was not any high tech scientific survey, I merely asked 100 teens between the age of 13 and 18 for their answers to the question, “What pisses you off?” and after compiling the answers these were the top ten (out of 36). Except for number 8 and 10, I’d say these things tick me off too (for number 10 people ignore me now because I’m too old! and for number 8 I might substitute the word boss for teacher).

Based on how we as parents feel sometimes I was a little surprised by these findings. Hey our teenagers are real people after all! I was halfway expecting a list of things totally off the wall! But NO, wait a minute - They (our children) are not some sort of alien with problems that we just don’t understand! The plea of, “OMG, the world is just not what it used be!” just doesn’t seem to hold any water with this survey.

So what do we do when our teens seem out of sorts or angry and just wont talk? Start of by looking at them and in all sincerity say, “hey I know exactly how you feel”, because the chances are you do, and if that’s the end of the conversation for now - so be it. Our children need to know that they are NOT seen as aliens and that their mom and / or dad might really know something after all and really do have the capacity to understand.

Love and Bright blessings ~ Richard