Question
Dr. Braccio: Our son is in the 11th grade and is developing a bad attitude towards us. He has generally been anamur eskort kızlar a good son over the years. He’s attractive, smart and well liked. This seems to be going to his head and he’s getting lippy. My husband is ready to take everything away from him and not let him get his driver’s license which he can now get. I’m trying to sort this out but my son will not listen to me. My husband is willing to work with me to resolve the problem. What do you suggest?
Answer
The fact your son “has generally been a good son over the years” is a positive beginning. It is much harder to change long term ingrained negative attitudes and behaviors.
The following are some suggestions on what you can do to change his attitude.
1. Clearly spell out what you expect of him.
2. Cleary spell out reasonable consequences if he does not do what is expected. Make sure your expectations and consequences are reasonable and relate to things important to both you and your husband. For a prime example, do not let him get a driver’s license until he is respectful for at least 30 days. When he gets it then determine when he can drive based on his attitude.
3. Have a family meeting to let him know what will be expected of him with consequences for not meeting them. His involvement in the process will be helpful.
4. Be consistent in your discipline. Do not make a rule and a reasonable consequence unless you plan to implement it on a consistent basis.
5. You and your husband need to be consistent and work together in order to effectively help your son behave appropriately.
6. Always be ready to listen to your son.
7. Be involved in his activities. Involved parents have better relationships with their children and this can help overcome the normal problems that occur during the often turbulent teenage years.
I wish you the best of luck. The key is to be consistent, fair and understanding. This can be helped by remembering when you were young and recognizing you can best help your son by helping him be a respectful and responsible son as he “generally has been over the years”.
Please call if you have any questions.