Blog Post
Parents, Teens and Tolerance
11/18/2013
All to often parents are frustrated by the lack of activity they find in their teens. Their seem to spend many hours in front of screens that require little physical activity. The moment the parent attempts to encourage a change of action the teen becomes frustrated and defensive.This increased sensitivity found in today's teens has seen a rise in suicidal thought, angry dispositions and apathetic teenagers who don't want to do anything.
Today's teens lack tolerance which is the backbone of hopeful thought. The lack of hope found in teenagers appears to be an important ingredient when developing the resilience they require to live in a competitive world. We all start without patience, our first cry for food is often a demanding command. As a society we help build patience in our population yet today's teens lack the patience to endure a slow computer or game download. They have tremendous knowledge from viewing youtube and internet information yet they emotionally understand little of what they see.
Tolerance requires patience and understanding.
Hope requires willpower, waypower and tolerance to endure the time between wishing for an outcome and reaching that goal.
The inability to acquire tolerance leaves the teen sensitive to feelings of hopelessness that can be expressed in the inability to attempt activities, defensive anger and despair.
The goal is often seen as a destination yet hope can be found in the process. Process movement is the action found in the pursuit of a goal. It is the motivating journey that builds hope and tolerance of the final outcome which becomes a simple event along a long path of process movement.
The next time your child indicates to you that they want something;
1. find time to explore the path,
2. help them focus on the process movement.
The goal will become secondary to the active pursuit. Tolerance will fuel the feelings of hope.
Paul Pound MS, MPhil LPC, LCADC, ACS