When Teens Stop Liking Parents

When teens stop liking their parents, it hurts. Do you know what I mean? Have you ever looked into your teenager’s eyes and felt like a stranger? As a mom, nothing stings quite like realizing that the child who once clung to you now seems to tolerate your presence barely.

It’s a heartbreaking shift that leaves many of us feeling lost, questioning our worth, and wondering where we went wrong. But take heart—you are not alone in this struggle. While it may feel like the bond you once had is slipping away, there is hope and a path forward to healing and understanding.

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When your teenager seems to push you away or act like they don’t like you, it’s easy to feel hurt and react out of frustration or fear. However, there are some key things you should avoid doing during these challenging times to prevent further damage to the relationship. Here are five actions to steer clear of that can help keep the door open for healing and connection, even when it feels like your teen is shutting you out.

What To Do When Teens Stop Liking Their Parents

Acknowledge the Hurt

Acknowledge the deep emotional pain and confusion that come when a child who was once so close becomes distant. Although this phase may feel overwhelming and never-ending, it’s important to remember that it’s just that—a phase. With patience, understanding, and a steady hand, you and your teenager can navigate this season and emerge with a stronger, more resilient bond.

It’s okay to feel down, but you can’t stay down. God is in control and continues to work all things out for His good and His glory.

What You Need To Know?

  1. Understanding the Teenage Mindset
  2. Humanizing the Pain: A Mom’s Perspective
  3. Practical Steps to Take
  4. Finding Support
  5. Holding on to Hope

Understand A Teens Mindset

To make it through these tough moments, it helps to step into your teen’s shoes and understand what they’re really going through. The teenage years are a rollercoaster of emotions, independence, and self-discovery. By understanding their mindset, you can approach them with more empathy and patience, helping to keep your connection strong, even when things feel rough.

Hormonal and Developmental Changes: Hormone changes and brain development can affect a teenager’s mood and behavior. The hard part for parents is that many teens don’t fully understand what is happening to their bodies, which makes communication much more difficult.

Desire for Independence: As teens try to establish their independence, they may push away from their parents as a part of this process. We want our kids to gain independence so they can handle adult life, so being able to observe what is happening will help you.

The Role of Peer Influence: Peer relationships can become more important, often overshadowing family relationships. We must discern how influential friends are on our child and help them become strong and confident in who God made them to be.

Romans 12:18 – “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Humanizing the Pain: A Mom’s Perspective

  • A Normal Experience: I want to remind you that feeling hurt is normal and that you are not alone in this experience.
  • The Power of Vulnerability: Acknowledge your feelings and possibly even share them with their teenager calmly, non-confrontationally.

Psalm 147:3 – “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Practical Steps to Take

  • Stay Consistent in Love and Support: Continue to show love, even when it feels unreciprocated.
  • Create Open Lines of Communication: Keep communication open by actively listening, not interrupting, and validating feelings.
  • Respect Their Space and Independence: Giving teens the space they crave while being present and available shows your teen respect and understanding.

Finding Support

Lean on Your Community: Don’t be afraid to contact friends, family, or support groups who understand what you’re going through.

Consider Professional Help: Consider seeking help from a counselor or therapist for your teen or yourself. Sometimes, getting outside help gives you insights into what can be done to make the situation less stressful.

Holding on to Hope

We have to remember to have hope. God is at work. Your child is not going to feel this way forever. Even during the toughest times with their teenager, there’s always a reason to stay resilient and patient.

  • The Power of Time: Like many phases, this too shall pass. Teens grow up, mature, and often return to a closer relationship with their parents. 🙂
  • Encouragement to Persevere: I want to encourage you to continue your unwavering love and patience, which can make a profound difference.

Malachi 4:6 – “And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers; lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

Scripture for Strained Relationships

  1. Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
    • This verse highlights the importance of nurturing and guiding children without causing unnecessary conflict or resentment.
  2. Colossians 3:21 – “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.”
    • Encourages parents to avoid actions or words that may lead to bitterness or discouragement in their children.
  3. Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
    • It suggests that a strong foundation, even if met with resistance during the teenage years, will have lasting effects.

Scripture For Healing and Reconciliation

Healing and reconciliation offer hope that strength will be renewed through patience and reliance on God.

Isaiah 40:31 – “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Corinthians 5:18-19 – “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”

James 5:16 – “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Wrapping It Up

Watching your teenager pull away can be one of the most heartbreaking experiences as a parent. It’s tough—there’s no sugarcoating that. But take heart: you’re not alone in this journey, and it doesn’t mean you’re losing them forever.

With the Lord, patience, empathy, and a lot of love, this difficult season can be a time of growth, so hang in there—your bond is stronger than you think. God’s got you and will lead you through this season of parenting.

References and Links

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