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You
wouldn't know it but everybody was a teenager once. And adults seem
to quickly forget what it was like for them.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
survey
Now
the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ wants to know what it's like to be a teenager today and
they've come up with a questionnaire for teenagers as well as parents
to try and get to the bottom of the teenage experience.
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| Relationships
with friends can be stronger than with family |
Christian
Jenna from the National Families and Parenting Institute said: "In
recent decades life has become more pressurised for teenagers, in
terms of pear pressure, in terms of advertising, marketing and pressure
on them at school.
"I
think the problems that parents and teenagers have had go back probably
beyond time. It's all about a young person becoming an adult, finding
their own way in the world, and opinions diverging with their parents,
and I don't think that's ever going to change.
Communication
is the key
It
appears that the main issue facing teenagers today is being able
to talk openly with their parents.
Christina
said: "There are certain subjects that parents and teenagers
are never going to agree and which children will try and establish
their independence about.
"Sex,
drugs, ambition, schoolwork, what to wear, what time to stay out,
all those sorts of issues. That's where communication can break
down."
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| Issues
like smoking and drug taking are common flashpoints in families |
Many
teenagers have to overcome the problems of family breakdown. "It's
certainly easier if there are two people to deal with a problem,"
said Christina."But
single parents can find their own ways of finding support, from
their own parents, or grandparents, or even from friends.
Many
other factors effect the lives of teenagers today including technology,
homework and pressure to achieve academically.
Early
puberty
Also
teenage
life is beginning much earlier, which according to research is now
about 13. Years ago it was more like 17 but now puberty is starting
earlier, especially in girls.
There
are biological reasons for this but despite girls looking like 19-year-olds
they aren't changing emotionally and a 13-year-old is still a 13
year old.
Christina
hopes that more awareness of the issues around teenage will help
families to negotiate rather than argue about those textbook flashpoints.
"The
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ survey is highlighting the issues that happen between parents
and teenagers and families will be able to use there skills to negotiate
with their kids rather than argue with them."
If
you would like to comment on this or any other story in this section
then get in touch at gloucestershire
@bbc.co.uk
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