This is for the parents who have lost hope figuring out what is going on inside their teens mind. One wrong move and your own flesh and blood is posting “I hate my life and I hate my parents” on all their secret social media accounts you know nothing about. 

A simple request to do the dishes might be all that is needed to send us into an irreversible tail spin. The sudden bursts of anger may leave you feeling like a failure and wondering where you went wrong. You might even be reminiscing about the innocent child who used to put rocks in your pocket all those years ago. I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but they’re gone. No need to worry though, because like fine wine, teenagers get better with age. All it takes is a new day to hit the reset button. 

Next time you start doubting your parenting skills because your kid told you to “stfu, you don’t know anything!” before slamming the door in your face, remember this: There is so much displaced anger inside us. Confusion from a lack of identity. Stress from being told to pick their post-secondary education when they are still confused about that one math problem from grade seven. Then there’s the depression when they try to deal with everything alone because “I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone!” That is usually followed by an emotional breakdown since “nobody loves me! Why am I still single? OMG I am going to die alone”

That accounts for 60% of the everyday thought processes of your teenager. Therefore, parents, listen to me when I say that we secretly love you. We do not necessarily like you all the time, but we couldn’t make it without you.

We may not know what we’re doing with our lives but that does not mean we always need your advice. Sometimes all we need is some space, not a lecture on our life and how you lived yours.