How to Handle a Strong-Willed Teen (and Why Phones Sometimes Get Taken Away)
And there it sits…
📱 His cell phone — resting peacefully on the counter — until he can remember how to be kind to his siblings and not talk back to his mother. 😅
This morning, all I asked my 13-year-old to do was help his 5-year-old sister buckle her seatbelt. That’s it. Not climb a mountain barefoot in the snow. Not build a rocket. 🚀 Not solve world peace. ✌️ Just… buckle her seatbelt.
And he lost it — full attitude, name-calling (“stupid”), the works. 🙄
Which earned him a one-way ticket to no phone for the day. 🚫📱
When I raised my voice and took his phone, he looked right at me and said, “Oh, you can raise your voice, but I can’t?” Excuse me, Mr. Future Politician 🗣️ — you are thirteen. I am the adult. And this is not a debate club meeting. 🎤 (He was right though, (we wont tell him that) but I should not have raised my voice/ even we need to be reminded there’s better ways to deal in the heat of the moment)
Here’s the thing though — as much as he drives me up the wall some days 😩, I know one day that same fire 🔥 will take him far — maybe as a lawyer ⚖️, a politician 🏛️, or leading some movement where arguing is an actual job requirement, passionately convincing people he’s right (and he probably will be)
I’m so proud of that strong-willed spirit. 💪 (He’s passionate, determined, and he’ll argue his point until the bitter end because he truly believes in it. )❤️
Just maybe not when he’s using those skills against me before 8 a.m. ☕😂
So, we had a little talk — about respect, kindness, and what it means to be a role model for your younger siblings. 💬👧👦
Around here, we don’t call names, we don’t talk back, and we definitely don’t argue instructions. We just help each other out. ❤️
You’d think by now the logic would sink in: “If I do this, I lose that… so maybe don’t do that.”
But nope — apparently every day is a new episode of “Let’s Test Mom’s Patience” 🎬 to see if the rules have magically changed overnight.
(Spoiler alert: they haven’t.) 😆
Parenting teens should count as cardio — between the sighs, the lectures, and the emotional heavy lifting. 🏋️♀️💨But at the end of the day, he’s still my kid — still learning, still growing, still figuring it out. And I’ll keep showing up, even on the hard days, because that’s what moms do. It’s equal parts love, patience, and repeating yourself until you’re blue in the face. But hey, one day it’ll all sink in… right? Right?! 😆 — but for now, the phone stays right where it is.
So tell me, fellow parents — how do you handle strong-willed teens who always need the last word? 🙋♀️
Asking for a mom who’s tired of the daily debates.😂 Give me all the tips, tricks and survival strategies! I’ve started with a few that work for us below. 👇
Tips for Parenting Strong-Willed Teens:
Try to Pick Your Battles – Focus on what really matters; let the small stuff slide.
Set Clear Boundaries and Consequences – Consistency is key. (even if they think it may have changed over night)
Give Choices When Possible – Let them feel some control over small decisions.
Encourage Problem-Solving – Ask, “How can we fix this?” to channel energy positively.
Validate Their Feelings – You don’t have to agree with behavior to acknowledge emotions.