Tag: controlling emotions

“Julia is so sensitive I can’t say anything to her without it causing a big blow-up!” exclaimed Julia’s mom. “How am I supposed to raise this kid when I can’t even talk to her?!”

Julia’s mother had a good point. She needed to be able to "parent" her daughter without worrying what the fallout would be. But Julia was typical of many teenagers who feel entitled to impose their moods or frustrations on others simply because they feel, well, moody or frustrated. Shrewd and savvy, these teenagers have learned to exploit their parents’ wishes to avoid a bigger, louder and messier argument.

Over a period of eight weeks, our son went from a sweet boy who liked to give hugs and kisses to one who yelled at us in anguish, hit us, and spit in our faces. We would later learn that the children in his preschool continually spit in his face, hit him as he tried to crawl away, and on one occasion, pushed his face into the water of a kiddie pool.