Causes of Conflict between Adolescents and their Parents

Read the texts below

Some interesting discoveries have been made by psychologists studying conflicts between adolescents and their parents. One notable feature is that they seldom argue about such major topics as sex, drugs, or politics. This is surprising, that great differences often exist between the attitudes of parents and adolescents on such issues. Researchers suggest the explanation may be that such topics do not usually relate to day-to-day family interaction and are not discussed as they are not directly relevant to family life. Instead, parents and children tend to fall out over everyday family matters such as housework.

Despite the changes that have taken place over the past fifty years, adolescents appear to have the same kinds of arguments with their parents as the parents had when they themselves were young. It seems to come around to the conflict between the adolescent's desire for independence from the parents' authority. Teenagers spoke of their right to be free of restrictions, while parents were equally sure of their right to exert control, backing this up by referring to the needs of the family as a whole. Interestingly, both groups could see the other's point of view even though they disagreed with it.

What Do Parents and Teenagers Fight About?

The argument arises out of clash of roles. Teenagers want to gain greater independence, more freedom. Young people and their parents have different views on when the children should be allowed to do things alone: go shopping, choose what to wear and eat, what time to come home, with whom to go out, etc.

Researchers have found that most disputes between parents and teenagers are not very heated and are typically about issues, such as: fighting with brothers and sisters, cleaning up bedroom, possessions, their own space, time, helping out around the house, doing homework, bedtime, time to come home, household chores, friends and responsibilities.

Issues that tend to generate more heat, but occur less frequently, include: talking back to parents, lying, getting poor results at school, getting in trouble at school.

3) Discuss the questions:

1) Do you think the text is right about what causes arguments between children and parents nowadays? How true are these issues to you?

2) Do you think your parents had similar arguments when they were young?

3) What do you think can help parents and children to have a close relationship?

4) In what ways is your relationship with your grandparents similar to or different from your relationship with your parents?

4) Now prepare a talk on the causes of conflict between adolescents and their parents. Use the following plan:

· generation gap,

· financial problems,

· education and careers.

to give you some ideas for the talk:

1) What problems do you think are caused by people of different ages living together? (living style, music, etc.)

2) In what ways do you think the attitudes change as you get older? (tolerance, priorities, etc.)

3) In what ways can money cause arguments between parents and children?

4) Do you think young people have a sense of the importance of money?

5) Do you think that parents and children have different attitudes to school and homework? (think how children like to spend their time)

6) How important is academic success to children?

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29