If you’re the parent of a teenager, you know just how hard life can be during this time. With school, sports, clubs, new friends, relationships, and plenty of other things, life can really be difficult during teenage years. In some cases, teenagers aren’t able to cope with the new stresses and new life experiences, which then cause them to become troubled. Many times a trouble teen will become very introverted. Sometimes they even become angry teens, which can lead to even more issues. Here are some very common signs that your teen may be troubled.
1. Questionable friends – As a parent you probably know who your teenager hangs out with and you’ve probably been introduced to a few of his/her best friends. Many times a teen has friends that he/she has known for years and years. However, if you start to notice that your teen is hanging out with a newer group of friends you may be a little worried. It’s not often that a teen will abandon old long-time friends for new ones unless something is going on. Sometimes these new friends can bring nothing but trouble.
2. Bad performance at school – Keep an eye on your teen’s performance in school. If you notice that grades are dropping and teachers are complaining of truancy or attending class late, you definitely want to check into it. If your teen is known for doing well in school and then starts to do poorly, something could be going on. Your teen may be skipping school and getting into trouble.
3. Lying – Have you found that your teen has lied about their whereabouts? Do you find that they are hiding things from you? If this is the case, your teen has definitely become defiant. Even if the lie is about something small, you never know what else they could be lying about.
4. Mood swings – Of course teenagers will be moody seeing as how hormones are changing and day-to-day life can be hard sometimes. But if you see that your teen is having extreme highs and extreme lows, you definitely want to monitor things. It’s never healthy or a good sign when someone is extremely happy and extremely sad on a daily basis.
5. Financial changes – Has your teen come home with more money? Does your teen have a job but you’ve noticed that the flow of money has been extremely low? Changes in your teen’s finances could mean they are spending money on unnecessary things; possibly drugs or alcohol, or they may even be engaging in selling drugs to make money.
6. Isolation – Does your teen like to spend a lot of time at home alone inside his room or in front of the television or computer screen? If so, your teen may be slowly becoming an introvert. You want to ensure your teen is able to communicate with you as well as others.
7. Violence – A huge red flag of a troubled teen is one that has become very violent. If your teen has harmed someone else or has made threats to harm someone, counseling is a must before your teen gets into serious trouble and faces jail time.
8. Depression – If your teen has becoming increasingly sad, you may definitely have one who is becoming troubled. If you are concerned that your teen might be having suicidal thoughts, definitely seek help ASAP.
9. Concealment – Does your teen hide things from you? Have you found inappropriate objects in your teen’s purse or room? If so your teen is not only lying but is trying to hide things from you, which could mean they are hiding even bigger things that can cause issues in the future.
10. Criminal behavior – Have you caught your teen stealing from a store? Or have you seen him going into your purse or wallet and taking money without asking or notifying you first? This is definitely a suspicious activity that may mean your teen is becoming troubled.
Remember, there is plenty of help out there for a troubled teen. As a parent you could decide to attend family counseling or consult some other type of therapist that may be able to intervene and help guide your child on the right path.