A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Teenage Mood Swings with Understanding

Parents, have you ever experienced a moment when your teenager appeared very happy one minute and then suddenly distressed, slamming their door moments later? If you have ever experienced this and wondered why it happens, you’ve found the right article.

This emotional rollercoaster is common, whispered by other parents in their circles as the dreaded ‘teenage mood swings’. This is when teenagers feel a wide range of intense emotions in a short time. Fortunately, this is an entirely normal thing at their age, which millions of other parents have also experienced. So you’re not alone.

Nevertheless, you probably wonder why mood swings happen and how you will navigate them.

Don’t worry! This article will explain all the internal and external factors that cause adolescent mood swings, plus practical tips for you to help your teenager through it.

Understanding teenage mood swings

The best way to understand teenage mood swings is from a biological perspective.

The main characteristic of the teenage or adolescent period is puberty — the period of development when a child turns into a teenager. This period comes with a whole host of physical, mental, and emotional changes that can create a lot of friction.

Puberty begins with the activation of sexual hormones. Shifting hormone concentrations change the structure of a teenager’s body, creating particular behaviors. For example, increased strength in boys, stemming from a sudden surge of testosterone, can lead to increased aggression.

These hormones can also influence the sensitivity of sensory receptors, indirectly influencing their moods and behaviors. For example, as teenagers might be more sensitive to pain, they can become more irritable.

But brain development doesn’t end with physical changes. It also influences personality and behavior. Neurotransmitters, especially dopamine, also increase at this age, influencing mood and emotional responses.

Social and environmental triggers

While hormone and brain development are significant, external changes can intensify your teenager’s emotional fluctuations.

One of the most significant changes during adolescence is the shift in relationships. During this period, teenagers tend to become less reliant on their parents while forming stronger connections with their peers by choice.

Choosing who to be friends with entails many more give-and-take moments. Peers often do provide a positive influence, yet they can also put negative pressure on teenagers’ emotional state, affecting their emotional fluctuations.

The way parents treat their children also shifts during puberty, which can also trigger mood swings.

As a parent, your expectations of your teenagers, such as academic success, often become more pronounced during puberty. Your children may feel pressured to conform to this expectation. Having high expectations can significantly affect the emotional lives of teenagers.

Your way of raising teenagers can also impact their mood states. Parental rejection can trigger the instability of teenagers’ emotions, resulting in feelings of abandonment that may remain until adulthood. In contrast, overprotective parents can make teenagers highly sensitive to their environment.

Differentiating normal mood swings from mental health concerns

While mood swings are common in adolescent development, observing your teenage mood states is still important. If you overlook their struggles, they can fall into mental difficulties.

If you see the below unusual changes in your teenager, these may be signs of underlying mental health issues:

Low energy
Social isolation
Persistent sadness
Lack of proper sleep, and
Lack of proper appetite

If you notice these, you should seek professional help. You can discuss their behavior at school with school counselors and consult a therapist.

Remember, it is better to prevent than to intervene.

Practical strategies for handling teenage mood swings

Even though mood swings are a regular part of being a teenager, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. You can get proactively involved to help your teenager navigate these big changes in their lives.

Here are some practices you can implement at home:

Practicing patience and emotional regulation

Teaching emotion regulation is the first key to dealing with your teenagers’ mood swings. You can help teenagers develop their emotion regulation skills by modeling calmness and discussing emotion regulation.

Here are some tips:

Choose the right time for conversation. Don’t force your teenager to talk with you when their emotions are explosive. Once they feel calm and comfortable, ask them whether they want to talk about it.
Ask open-ended questions. Open-ended questions can help them articulate their feelings. They can freely share their thoughts and emotions without feeling interrogated.
Discuss the triggers. Once you know their thoughts, you can discuss the possible triggers. This discussion can help them acknowledge and understand their situations better and find ways to regulate them for future events.

Setting boundaries with empathy

In a healthy relationship, parents and teenagers have to respect each other in setting boundaries. This becomes all the more important as teenagers mature and develop their own sense of identity.

One way you can do this is to involve them in rule-making. Here are some tips:

Communicate expectations. Try to discuss your expectations and ask theirs. This way, you can agree on things like chores, academics, etc.
Set rules and consequences. Once you know each other’s needs, agree on how this rule works and the consequences of breaking it.
Allow negotiations. You should let your teenager have a say in the rule-making. This rule affects them after all, and by letting them negotiate, you show them respect for their opinion.
Be consistent. While you expect them to obey the rules, you must also demonstrate your adherence to the rules you establish. It can show them that the rules you made together are equally applicable to each other.

Creating a supportive home environment

The way parents act can be a trigger to teenage mood swings.

Thus, as a parent, you must reduce the risks by providing them with a supportive home environment. These are some ways:

Open communication and support. Engage your teenager in every discussion openly. Show them they can talk to you without fearing being judged. Also, tell your teenager you appreciate their efforts to build a sense of security.
Trust your teenagers. As much as you want to help your teenager, sometimes you must let them learn to deal with their mood swings independently.
Have shared activities. Doing fun activities together strengthens your bond with them and builds their sense of trust.

Encouraging healthy coping mechanisms

Teenagers’ emotions can feel overwhelming. But while they’re normal in many ways, that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to manage them. You can teach your teenager to cope with their emotions in healthy ways.

Here are some recommended coping practices for your teenager:

Exercise. Physical activity is an effective way to release big emotions and stress.
Journaling. Writing down feelings can help your teenager to process their emotions and thoughts.
Mindfulness. Breathing exercises and meditation can bring them to the present moment and prevent rumination.
Hobbies. A hobby can be a good distraction from an emotional rollercoaster.

When to seek professional support

If you notice that the mood swings become severe or disturb their daily lives, it is a sign that you should seek professional support. Here are some important reminders:

Talk to your teenager. Discuss your concerns and try to understand their point of view.
Be open about mental concerns. Show them that mental issues are not taboo. Create a safe space for them to share their struggles.
Discuss with teachers. You can ask the teachers’ point of view, as they meet your teenager most of the time at school. If they notice the same thing, ask the school counselor for guidance.
Consult with a therapist. If things worsen, ask your teenager to seek professional counseling with you. Show them support throughout the process.

In conclusion

Teenage mood swings are normal parts of teen life, but most teenagers and parents find them challenging to manage. By understanding the biological, social, and environmental influences behind mood swings, you can better deal with them and provide the proper support.

Teach them to regulate their emotions and cope adaptively. Also, create a supportive environment at home to help them develop emotional stability. If necessary, you can seek professional help to ensure your teenager receives the support they need.

So parents, start with a tiny change today and build from there. Implementing these practices at home will help your teenager to reach emotional well-being and maturity.

If you want to see more resources on adolescence development, check out the Parenting Science Labs. The lab uses the research of the Institute for Life Management Science to produce courses, certifications, podcasts, videos, and other tools. Visit the Parenting Science Labs today.

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Trisnajaya Shalsabila