Teenagehood is the age when children feel grown-up. They want to be independent and make their own decisions. This comes with several challenges to parents and wards. One of them is rebelliousness which can cause disrespect. Why your teenage daughter is being disrespectful to you can be part of a process of her combating many feelings.
As a parent, remember that violence would not help to quell rebellious attitudes instead it will fuel it. You must be calm, ask God for help.
Proverbs 22 v 6 says ‘train up your child in the way he should grow and when he is old, he won’t depart from it”, teenagers are still in their formative phase in their lives so they need guidance to become upstanding people in the future.
In this piece, we will be taking a look at reasons why your daughter might be treating you disrespectfully and some some action you can take.
Read Also: 8 Simple Ways To Make Your Daughter Love Praying
Why Is My Teenage Daughter Being Disrespectful Me
Your daughter’s disrespect may be a sign that she needs your help. Here are some common reasons that can lead to disrespectful behavior:
1. Bad Friends
If your daughter hangs out with kids who don’t respect their parents or teachers, they’ll influence her behavior and make her act like them (Proverbs 13v20).
You can prevent this by talking with your daughter about what you expect from her friends and making sure that they have good role models in their lives.
2. Too Much Time on Social Media
When your daughter spends too much time on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, she may feel more connected to people online than in real life — leading to issues with respect for others.
To solve this problem, ask your daughter if she’d like to deactivate her accounts for a few weeks so that she can focus on family and friends instead of strangers online.
3. Trouble at School
It can be hard for a teen to understand how the world works. When they’re struggling with schoolwork, they may feel frustrated and confused.
They might lash out at you because they have been facing bullies, peer pressure, inferiority complex, and confusion about how the system works.
If you think your daughter might be having trouble in school or at work, talk with her about it and try to find ways for her to succeed.
4. Anxiety About Something Important in Her Life
Your daughter might be struggling with an issue such as body image, social relationships, or school performance and may not know how to talk about it with you.
She might feel like she doesn’t have anyone else to share her feelings with and take them out on those closest to her instead.
5. Drugs and Alcohol
Your teenage daughter may be disrespectful if she is abusing drugs or alcohol. While most teens experiment with alcohol, some become addicted to it — either by drinking excessively on their own or by becoming involved with others who drink excessively.
If your daughter becomes addicted to alcohol or other drugs, she will probably have other problems as well, such as poor grades at school or trouble with the law.
Read Also: How To Deal With A lying Daughter (6 Helpful Tips)
6. You Don’t Give Her Attention
Your daughter may be treating you disrespectfully because she doesn’t feel like she gets enough of your time and attention. She may feel neglected, which is why she doesn’t listen to you or obey your rules.
Her disrespect is a way to derive attention.
Try creating special bonding time with her by going on a trip, creating activities you can do together. You can also try to understand her interests. For example, ask her to talk about her favorite music and listen to it with her.
7. She Doesn’t Know How to Handle Emotions in Healthy Ways
If your daughter acts out when she’s angry or frustrated, it could be because she doesn’t know how to deal with her emotions in healthy ways.
If this is the case, help her learn how to manage those feelings by practicing positive self-talk, journaling or talking with a counselor at school.
She’ll learn that getting angry and yelling doesn’t solve anything and will hopefully start making better choices when she finds herself feeling angry or upset.
8. You Don’t Set Rules or Consequences
If your daughter knows there are no consequences for bad behavior, she’ll continue misbehaving. It’s important that you set clear rules about what behaviors are acceptable and which ones are not.
And if you have consequences in place for breaking those rules — such as losing privileges or having an apology note written — then she’ll hopefully stop acting out so much!
9. You’re Too Controlling or Demanding
If you expect your child to obey every rule without question or think that everything should go exactly according to plan, it’s no wonder she acts out sometimes!
Kids need room for experimentation and exploration so they can learn new skills and make good decisions on their own — not just do whatever Mom says because it’s easier than arguing about it!
10. She Doesn’t Know How to Show Respect Toward an Adult
Your daughter might not know how to show respect toward an adult because it’s something that is learned from parents, teachers, and other authority figures in her life.
If she doesn’t see any examples of respectful behavior from those around her, then it’s possible that she doesn’t know how to act respectfully.
Read Also: 10 Ways A Mother Can Build Trust With Her Daughter
The Bottom Line
Christian values state the importance of honoring their parents (Eph 6:1-3). You need to take time with your daughter and teach her these things so that she can learn them from you rather than from her friends or teachers at school or church.
Take time to study your children and give them adequate attention because they might be a particular reason why your teenage daughter may be disrespectful to you.
The Bible says that children should obey their parents in all things (Colossians 3:20).
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