Boundaries with Teens: How Do I Maintain Respect?

Discussing Not Arguing

If you feel like you’re having trouble maintaining boundaries with your confrontational teen then you’re not alone. Teenagers can be confrontational! The important thing to know is that it’s not about what you do in the heat of the moment. The time to address this kind of behavior is beforehand. If you’re connecting and bonding outside of times of conflict, your kid will likely be more open to the process of talking it out and coming to a solution. You need to get to the point where you’re “discussing,” not arguing, and we talk about it in this Tips on Teens:

“Lately my 14 year old has been screaming at me more and more and giving me a lot of eye rolling and attitude. He even tried to engage me in a standoff and wouldn’t let me pass once. What is the best way to not react to him and hold boundaries around my own personal respect?  I’m talking about not becoming his personal punching bag while he works out all this stuff going on for him. I just feel like I’m walking on eggshells all the time and I can’t take it anymore.”