On October 31, 2002, I found myself in a situation I was not prepared to deal with. My son, which was thirteen-years-old at the time, and a friend decided they were going to runaway. Not only did they decide to runaway, but they were going to take our 1987 IROC Z-28 so they could drive to Denver, Colorado. Teens are often described as living in a fog of exaggerated personal invulnerability. However, both the scientific evidence and direct discussion show teens as having many concerns on their minds. They wonder if and how they"re going to get through this stage of their lives, with the world that they hope for reasonably intact. (The Board on Children par.2) .
David seems to live in his own world and does not like to do chores around the house that my wife and I assign him. This can get very frustrating for us because we are constantly on his case to throw the trash and clean his room. It will sometimes get to the point where he and I are not even speaking to each other. Dirty looks, muttered complaints, defiant declarations of "You can't make me!": Your child probably has all sorts of delightful reactions when you ask him to do daily tasks, from brushing his teeth to making his bed. That type of response is called provocative communication (translation: any statement or gesture from a child that's rude, inappropriate, or hurtful). And as a child psychotherapist with more than 30 years of experience, I can tell you that it's a natural part of growing up (Fleming par.1).
My wife, Sharon, and I had-been-invited to co-host a Halloween party at our friends" house so we were pre-occupied during the afternoon as we prepared for the event. One lesson I learned is that, it is important that I pay close attention to my children when they are acting out of the ordinary. My son is not usually the parent-loving child he appeared to be that day, although he is not disrespectful, he is not affectionate towards us either.
