After the relatively relaxed and easy years of middle childhood adolescence can be quite a shock for some parents. You may be wondering why your child's once-extensive vocabulary has been reduced to a few Neanderthal type grunts. Or why your child's smile has been replaced by a permanent scowl or an upturned lip. Perhaps you are thinking that the A in Adolescent stands for attitude and it is not all positive. Teenagers can be difficult to fathom at times leaving the most capable parents scratching their heads in surprise.
Adolescents have a poor public image.
If you were to take notice of some media coverage of young people you couldn't help but think that most teenagers are drug-crazed, sexually rampant gorillas intent on creating mayhem. Take note that the majority of kids make it through adolescence unscathed, although they will invariably give their parents and teachers a few headaches along the way. It helps for parents to know what is normal and what's not. Following is a list of common problems, behaviors or issues that many parents of adolescents currently encounter. My teenager thinks about three things - sex, sex and sex Anyone who can remember their own adolescence would realize that sex and sexuality is a pretty big issue for this age group.