Essay/Term paper: Parent - teenager relationships

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Social Issues

Parent - Teenager Relationships

Parents are fragile things. There is a very fine line between approval and
disapproval with most parents. No teenager I know ever seems to do anything
right by their mum or dad. My mother always nags me to do things like clean my
teeth, tidy my room, do my homework blah blah….

It's probably the same with many other teenagers out there. When asked why
parents nag they often say "it's for your own good" or something equally insane.
These comments rate right up there with "because I said so" and "because I'm
your father or because I'm your mother"

It is, in fact, very easy to judge if a particular child is or isn't nagged. If
I were to take my friend Doug for example, I could very easily say that his
mother didn't nag him much at all. This is because he simply does what he likes.
I mean, who does the right thing when nobody cares if you don't? Now take
myself, I have had more than my fare share of nagging in my time. How do you
know? Well, everything I am was shaped by my mother. She is an epitome of
understanding, a wealth of knowledge and of course I have inherited the other
traits like beauty and genetic perfection.

I know I certainly hate being nagged. If my mum gets on my nerves I'd say just
about anything to shut her up sometimes.

Have a look at Josephine in the novel "Looking for Alibrandi" and compare her to
her mother. Jose may absolutely hate her mother sometimes but at others be
unable to live without her presence. I don't think that Jose could ever imagine
her mother being in the same position as her. What I don't understand is if our
parents have been through this themselves, then why do they have such a hard
time understanding why their children often hate them for the same reasons?

My main point is that if our parents have resented their parents for the way
they were brought up, why do they treat our generation in the same way?

I think the answer lies in the control and freedom teenagers have and want these
days. As we get older we tend to want to be in control of our direction, and
not be forced in a particular direction by someone else, even by a parent. This
is why I don't like my mother nagging, because it symbolises that feeling of
control and power that our parents crave.