It may be to argue my curfew or simply misplacing frustration resulting from a bad day. Some teens simply want boundaries when they become verbally out of line with their parents. Subconsciously, they look for security in knowing how far they can push their parents. We are getting our wings. We are little baby birds, and we don't want our mom and dad around all the time.
Explosions happen, but they can be cleaned up.
She has said harsh things to her parents in the heat of the moment that she later regretted. And vice versa. All parties apologized, she says. When teens sass their parents, they feel powerful and in control, even if it's only for a few minutes, Kendrick says. They have disarmed their parents, he says.