Adolescence is tough...

Since Gabriel was 12, he has been growing fast and eating a lot of food so we have bought healthier snacks to put in his backpack to promote healthier eating. He also starting going to after-school tutoring to boost his academic scores and to get help with homework in addition to his many extra-curricular activities. When Gabriel turned 14, he tried out for the high school baseball team and made it! He also went camping with some friends over the summer and learned a little tennis from his uncle.

Gabriel began to argue with my partner and me more in 7th grade. He would argue mostly about clothes, bedtime, and chores. We have since renegotiated household rules and have given him a later bedtime in exchange for more chores. Gabriel is struggling a little in school but acts bored or angry when we try to talk about it or help him with homework assignments. He has his daily ups and downs, sometimes coming home from school cheerful and friendly, and sometimes sullen and cranky. The transition to high school has been occasionally stressful for Gabriel. He sometimes gets angry or rebellious. Usually it is because of something hurtful a friend said or because of problems in school, such as lost homework. Usually he retreats to his room. My husband and I listen to the problem and provide similar stories from our own teen years to show Gabriel that his experiences are not unique. Usually we end up laughing about it. We tell Gabriel stories of what we were like as teenagers because we are hoping that he will learn from our mistakes.