10 Annoying Teen Behaviors That Are Awful But Normal

Giving Into Peer Influence

One of the most challenging parts of being a teen is the peer pressure that most teenagers face. Although it may be frustrating to you as a parent when your teen only wants to wear what their friends are wearing or is suddenly interested in something because of a peer, this is often normal behavior.

Peer pressure can also become a real issue when teens are pressured to participate in dangerous activities such as getting involved in drugs or alcohol. If this happens to your teen, then it’s time to intervene. However, wearing their hair a certain way or liking a certain fashion trend because of a friend’s influence is usually harmless.

Acting Defiant

There are many different ways defiance can show up in teens and it can be frustrating and annoying for parents. Defiance, no matter how serious it is, typically involves your teen refusing to do what you ask or doing the opposite of what you ask. This might look like staying up late after you’ve asked them to go to bed, or it could look like your teen sneaking out after you’ve gone to sleep.

Defiance itself is a normal behavior in teens, but it doesn’t mean you should condone their defiant behavior. There are some behaviors that you may be able to overlook or ignore, while others need to be addressed for your teen’s safety.

Rolling Their Eyes

Eye rolling is probably one of the most frustrating behaviors for parents of teens. Knowing that it’s normal doesn’t make it any less frustrating, but it may be slightly comforting to know it doesn’t mean something is wrong.

A teen rolling their eyes is usually a way for them to express their frustration with something you said or did. Sometimes it’s done in a joking way when you’ve said something embarrassing, but it often comes across as rude and disrespectful. When this happens, you can have a conversation with your teen about more respectful ways they can express their emotions or let you know what they’re thinking.

Mood Swings

One of the reasons why teens display many challenging behaviors is because of the changes they’re going through. Especially for teens who are going through puberty, hormonal changes can lead to symptoms like mood swings.

Mood swings in teenagers often look like a rapid change in their emotions from one moment to the next. They might easily go from feeling happy to feeling upset or frustrated in a matter of minutes. The best thing you can do as a parent of a teen experiencing mood swings is give them space and stay connected with them emotionally so you can be there for them when they need someone to talk to.

Changing Sleeping and Eating Habits

There are many times when a change in your teen’s eating and sleeping habits could be a sign of a deeper issue. For example, sleeping too much or too little can be a sign of depression in teenagers. If this is the case, there may be other signs as well.

However, it’s important to remember that your teen’s eating and sleeping habits will likely change during a growth spurt. When they’re growing, they’re likely going to sleep and eat a lot more than normal. If a growth spurt is what they’re experiencing, then this change will be temporary and there’s likely nothing to worry about.

Strong Emotional Reactions

Another symptom of the physical, mental, and emotional changes teenagers are dealing with is having a strong emotional reaction to even minor events. They might seem overly excited, overly upset, or have another emotional outburst that seems like an extreme overreaction.

Sometimes hormones can play a role in these emotional reactions, or even the stress and pressure that comes with being a teenager. It’s important to be there for your teen if they do want help, but instead of always trying to provide a solution, remember that sometimes they may need you to validate their emotions and teach them how to process their strong feelings.

Taking a Long Time to Get Ready

As the parent of a teen, you might be surprised when they develop what seems like an obsession with the way they look, especially if it seems to come out of nowhere. They might obsess over everything about their appearance from the way their clothes fit to the way their hair looks.

While this can lead to unhealthy relationships with their appearance and body image, there are many cases when this sudden change in priorities is normal. Not only are teens dealing with a lot of peer influence at this age, but they also can become self-conscious because of the changes they’re experiencing with their bodies.

Testing Boundaries

Testing boundaries, especially with your parents and other authority figures, is part of growing up. This is a teenager’s way of understanding and exploring the world around them. Even though they’re testing the limits during this phase, giving them clear and safe boundaries is how you protect your teen.

Your teen might be frustrated about the boundaries you set, but boundaries not only keep your teen safe, they also provide them with a sense of stability. When your teen becomes frustrated with the limits you’ve set, remind them that the boundaries are there to protect them and prepare them for the real world.

Constantly Changing Their Interests

When your child is in their teenage years, it may seem like they change their hobbies and interests as often as they change their clothes. This is a normal part of being a teen as they start to explore different interests to identify what they like.

It may be frustrating for you as a parent, especially if you’re paying for your teen to participate in different extracurricular activities. You can choose to set your own boundaries for how long they have to stick an activity out, but remember that it’s normal for them to experiment with different interests and hobbies at this age.

Arguing Often

Another annoying or frustrating behavior that your teen might display is constantly arguing with you about everything. While this isn’t exactly an easy thing to deal with, it’s important to examine the difference between your teen being disrespectful and them practicing their arguing skills.

Learning how to use logic and reason in an argument is an essential skill for teens to develop. This doesn’t mean it’s okay for them to be rude or disrespectful, but you can use this as an opportunity to teach your teen how to disagree in a healthy and respectful way.

Not Asking for Help

As a parent, you want nothing more than for your teen to come to you when they want to talk or need help. Even though it may hurt a little bit when they don’t, remember that it’s normal for teenagers to avoid asking for help from their parents.

As they become increasingly independent during their teenage years, they might lean more on their peers than they do on their parents. Even if you might want to force them to talk to you or share what’s going on with them in their lives, the best thing you could do for your teen is make sure they know you’re always there for them if they need to talk.