I think any parent of any teen has this - it's a natural part of them learning to separate from their parents, annoying though it is. I usually let my son storm off to his room and calm down, and then when he's calm I explain my reasoning for whatever it is and try to get him to see the logic of it. Often, I try to frame things as preparation for adulthood: I explain that I won't be around to do chores forever, and he needs to practice how to take care of himself - which include managing his time.
In the instance of something other kids have that he can't have, I explain exactly why. For instance, DS used to have a problem with violence during meltdowns. Our agreement was that until he could control his behavior during a meltdown, he could not have access to the types of videogames that show that kind of behavior. Eventually, he did learn to control his behavior, and I did give him access to certain games, although he is still more restricted than many of his friends.
01 Apr 2015, 12:36 pm
