Home Front by TIFG

When a teenager says “I’m fine”, it usually means one of three things: 1. I am not fine 2. I am not ready to explain why 3. I am waiting for the exact wrong moment at 11.43pm to emotionally unload everything Research is fairly clear that teenage life is not light work. About 1 in 5 adolescents experience a mental health condition each year (WHO). If your teen seems like a walking emotional weather system, that is unfortunately quite normal. Then there is sleep. Around 70 percent of teens do not get enough sleep on school nights (CDC research). We are essentially asking sleep-deprived humans to solve algebra and also “communicate effectively”. The parenting upgrade is not “become stricter”. It is “become emotionally reachable without being annoying about it”. Fewer interrogations and more casual “how was your day” moments that do not feel like a court hearing. If they talk at all, do not ruin it by over-celebrating like you just won the lottery. 😂