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Why your teens have an attitude: Mom Squad with 3News' Maureen Kyle

Understanding teenage attitude takes a deeper understanding of their development and phase in life. Dr. Kim Bell with Hanna Perkins explains what they are thinking.

CLEVELAND — The teenage years are some of the most difficult for many families. With changes in not only behavior, but attitude. In today's Mom Squad, we are covering one of the top issues members of our Mom Squad Facebook group asked for.

Patsy R. wrote:

 "Hi, I’m new to this group. I recently joined because I’m trying to understand teens behaviors and lack of respect."

She wasn't the only one who said they are having trouble with teens and their attitude. Dr. Kim Bell, a clinical psychologist with the Hanna Perkins Center for Child Development, and professor at multiple schools and universities, is our expert for this topic.

She says first, you must understand the phase teens are in. 

“So imagine that moment when you push off from the edge of a pool. And for just a moment it feels great, and then you have to swim. And so that's how I always picture it, that teenagers are sort of pushing off from their families and they're trying to form their own identities and they're trying to figure out how to be in the world without the support of their parents, and it immediately gets scary," Bell said.

Dr. Bell says that's when teens start to grab onto other things like friends, celebrities, and outside influences to feel secure. And so, there's a constant push forward with a pull back. And that's what causes the internal turmoil.

We talk in depth about where the attitude is coming from, how to tell when your teen is needing your attention and care, even though it doesn't seem like it, and when you should really be concerned about their actions.

Watch the entire episode on WKYC-Plus which you can find on Roku and Fire TV. You can also see it on your WKYC YouTube channel or below:

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