The teenage years are hard on parents too

Start with the situation you're in

• Parenting teenagers: a practical guide for the years from 13 to 18 What changes in adolescence, the parenting style the research supports, eight principles that hold up day to day, and where to start with the problem you have now.
• My teenager hates me: why it happens, what's normal, and how to reconnect It feels personal, and it hurts. Here's how to tell normal pulling away from a damaged relationship or a warning sign, and what to say and do next.
• My teenage son hates me: why boys pull away, and what actually helps Why teenage boys pull away, often from their mothers most of all, what's normal and what isn't, and how to reach a son who won't let you in.
• My teenage daughter hates me: why she's so mean to you, and how to reconnect Why teenage daughters push their mothers away, why she can be kind to everyone but you, and how to rebuild things without a big showdown.
• My teenager won't talk to me: silence, shut doors, and how to get through Your teen shuts you out or stays in their room all day. How to tell privacy from avoidance or a warning sign, and what gets teenagers talking again.
• When your teenager doesn't care: about you, about consequences, or about anything "Whatever" can mean three different things. How to tell which one you're dealing with, why consequences stop working, and whether to insist on family time.
• When your teenager is making you miserable: what's happening to you, and what helps Parenting a hostile or withdrawn teen can leave you exhausted, resentful or low. Why that happens, why it doesn't make you a bad parent, and what helps.
• Teenagers and divorce: how to help your teen through a separation How to tell a teenager about divorce, how it tends to affect teens, co-parenting through the teenage years, handling their anger, and introducing new partners.
• When your teenager wants to live with the other parent Why teens ask to move to the other parent's home, what to say in the moment, whether a move could be right, and how to protect your relationship either way.
• Stepparenting teenagers: how to be a stepparent to a teen What to expect when you become a stepparent to a teenager, what to do and avoid, how to handle discipline, and how trust gets built over time.
• Angry teenager: why teens get so angry, and how to respond Why teenagers get so angry, what's normal and what isn't, what to say in the moment, and when anger is a sign of something that needs professional help.
• Teenage anger towards mother: why it happens, and what helps Why teenagers so often aim their anger at their mothers, the psychology behind it, how to respond, and when anger crosses into abuse.
• What to do when your teenager hits you If your teen has hit, pushed or threatened you: what to do in the moment, how to make a safety plan, what to do afterward, and where to get help.
• Anger management for teens: four simple worksheets, and where to find help What anger management for teenagers involves, four printable worksheets your teen can use at home, and how to find professional help near you.
• Defiant teenager: how to handle defiance without a power struggle Why teenagers become defiant, what's normal and what isn't, how to discipline without escalating, what to say, and when defiance needs professional help.
• Rebellious teenager: why teens rebel, and how to respond Why teenagers rebel against their parents, what's normal and what's risky, how to respond without making it worse, and when rebellion needs help.
• Out of control teenager: what to do, where to get help, and your legal options What to do first when a teenager's behavior is out of control, help that keeps them at home, the legal options, and how to vet programs before you trust one.
• The mother-daughter relationship in the teenage years: what's normal, and how to stay close What's normal between mothers and teenage daughters, what drives the conflict, signs something's wrong, and how to stay close or repair things.
• Mother-daughter therapy: does it help, and how to find the right therapist What mother-daughter therapy involves, when to consider it, what happens if your daughter won't go, and how to find a therapist who works with teens and mothers.
• Books about the mother-daughter relationship for mothers of teenage daughters Six widely recommended books for mothers of teenage daughters, on conflict, communication, what girls go through, and the pressures they face.
• The mother-son relationship in the teenage years: why sons pull away, and how to stay close Why teenage sons pull away from their mothers, what a healthy mother-son relationship looks like, where it can become unhealthy, and how to stay close.
• Disrespectful teenager: how to respond in the moment, and what works over time Why teenagers become disrespectful, what's normal and what isn't, what to say in the moment, and how to reduce disrespect over time.
• Consequences for a disrespectful teenager: what works, with examples What makes a consequence effective, examples for common kinds of disrespect, and what to avoid so consequences don't make things worse.
• Signs of a "toxic" teenager: what's really going on, and what to do The behaviors parents mean when they call a teen "toxic," what can drive them, when it's adolescence and when it's something more, and what helps.
• Lying teenager: why teens lie to their parents, and what to do about it Why teenagers lie, what's normal and what isn't, what to do when you catch them, eight ways to reduce lying, and when lying is a sign of something more.
• Consequences for a lying teenager: what works, plus creative alternatives Why harsh punishment can make lying worse, what makes a consequence for lying work, examples by age, and creative consequences that rebuild trust.
• Compulsive lying in teenagers: what's behind it, and what to do When a teenager lies about everything: what compulsive lying can look like, how ADHD, anxiety and trauma connect to lying, and when to get help.
• Teenager screen time: the averages, what's recommended, and what it does The latest numbers on teenage screen time, with sources and dates, why there's no single right amount, what the research says about effects, and what parents can do.
• How to limit screen time for a teenager, without constant fights A practical, step-by-step approach: a family media plan, phones out of bedrooms at night, screen-free times, parental controls used openly, and what to do when limits cause anger.
• When your teenager has no friends or feels left out: how to help Why some teens struggle with friendships, what's normal, how to help without making it worse, and when loneliness is a warning sign.
• Unmotivated teenager: how to motivate a teen who seems lazy What's really behind a lack of motivation, how to motivate a teenager without nagging, help with schoolwork, and when low motivation is a sign of depression.

All guides on teens pulling away

How we write these guides

Every guide starts from the questions parents actually ask, explains what's behind the behavior using public health and psychology sources, and ends with words and steps you can use the same day. We're clear about when a situation needs a doctor, a counselor or a therapist rather than an article. Our editorial standards.