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You thought the terrible twos were bad. Now you’re dealing with the terrible thirteens—and it’s even worse.

When she was two, she cried, kicked, and screamed. At 13, she’s yelling, slamming doors, storming out of the house, and screaming, “You can’t control me!”

You can reduce and eliminate teenage tantrums by taking these six steps. But before you start, understand that you need to take these steps when things are calm and no one is being confrontational. Don’t try this in the middle of a full-blown tantrum when you are both on edge.

1. Teach Your Teen the Importance of Trust

When you look at a tantrum in progress, you see a teen who looks totally and hopelessly out of control. And your teen sees you, the parent, as so unreasonable that you’ll never give her any control over her own life.

In reality, you’d probably give her more control if you felt you could trust her to make good decisions.

When trust exists in your relationship with your teen, she has a positive influence on you. And you have confidence in her. And you’re more confident about giving her more freedom.

But your teenager doesn’t realize how much influence she could have on you if only she worked to build your trust. And a tantrum doesn’t build trust.

Related content: Explosive Anger in Kids and Teens

For example, let’s say you tell your 14-year-old daughter that she can’t go to a party on Friday night because you know there won’t be any adults present. And you suspect kids will be drinking.

If your daughter reacts by screaming and locking herself in her room, it does more than make you angry. Her poor reaction erodes your trust in her. And it hurts her ability to influence you positively.

When teens learn to accept “no” for an answer and not have a tantrum, it builds trust and positive influence with parents. Your child needs to understand this.

You can role-play with your teen to teach her how to build trust. Let’s go back to the party example. After your daughter calms down, you can show her a better way to respond that gives her influence. You can coach her to say:

“Mom, I’m really angry and disappointed that you’re not letting me do this. But I want you to know that even though I’m angry, I’m going to follow the rules. I hope at some point you’ll reconsider.”

When teens manage their emotions gracefully and honestly, it has a positive influence on parents. Also, as you teach the difference between positive and negative influence—and manage your own emotions calmly—you’re modeling the behavior you want to see in your teen.

2. Teach Your Teen How to Influence You

Look for opportunities to say “yes” and teach your child on how to get you to say “yes.”

Often, when your teen acts out, beneath the outburst is something legitimate that he wants. But the way he’s going about getting it is completely inappropriate.

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When I work with teens who act out excessively, I ask them these questions:

  • “What is it that you want? More power to make your own decisions? More freedom?”
  • “How are you trying to influence mom and dad to get what you want?”
  • “How well is it working for you?”

In most cases, the teen will admit it’s not working very well. Try asking your teen these same questions (during a calm time). Then, you can shift the discussion into coaching mode by saying:

“I noticed you said that you’ve used the same strategy with me several times, but it isn’t working. I’d be happy to suggest what would work. Are you interested in hearing what I have to say?”

Ask his opinion with genuine curiosity. Don’t attack or criticize him.

Here’s another way to begin the coaching discussion. Ask your child the following:

“Do you have any ideas on what would work to get me to say yes? I have some ideas. Do you want to hear them?”

Speaking to your teen in this way helps him to see why his behavior is preventing him from getting what he wants. It shows him that his strategy for influencing you isn’t working.

And, most important, you are providing him an opportunity to learn to do better and to get what he wants more often.

3. Reward Trust-Building Behavior

As parents, we are constantly catching our kids doing something wrong. But try to catch your kid doing something right. Tell your teen when he does something that builds trust with you.

Here’s an example. Let’s say your son wants to stay overnight at a friend’s house but you say no because you know there won’t be adult supervision. If your child respects your decision without a fight, reward him with positive praise. Say this to your child:

“I know you’re disappointed that I would not let you stay over at Michael’s house. But, I appreciate that you showed your disappointment politely. That shows maturity and respect.”

Here are some other examples of how teens can earn trust with their parents:

  • Behave appropriately
  • Accept responsibility for mistakes
  • Volunteer information about day-to-day activities
  • Abide by the house rules
  • Try to do well in school

When your teen talks to you about the details of her day—without you having to pry it out of her—tell her that you appreciate her openness.

When you see her being compliant with your rules, notice it and say something.

Noticing the behaviors you want to promote helps to build trust. And it reinforces the preferred behaviors.

4. Understand That Teens are Naturally Self-Centered and Entitled

To combat teen temper tantrums effectively, it’s important to understand the “why” behind them. Teen temper tantrums are typically driven by two normal aspects of adolescence: self-centeredness and entitlement.

Teens are self-centered. They have a strong desire to advocate for themselves because, at this age, their world still revolves around them and their needs. Indeed, this is how it’s been their whole lives.

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They also feel entitled to get their needs met because mom and dad have always met their needs. But now, suddenly, they are told that they are not entitled to be taken care of in the same way they were just a few short years ago.

To make matters worse, entitled teens also want maximum freedom to do what they want when they want. In short, teens want to be independent when it suits them and dependent when it suits them. They want it both ways.

This is a normal part of adolescence. This is a normal part of the transition from childhood to adulthood. And for some kids, the transition is hard.

Tantrums are unacceptable behavior, but you will remain calm and deal with them more effectively when you understand why they are happening.

5. Look for Signs of Teen Stress

Teens have a lot of stress, particularly about their peer relationships and the impact of peer pressure.

How teens respond to peer pressures impact their moods. When their relationships are going well, teens are easier to get along with. When they’re going badly, teens get stirred up, doors get slammed, and you get called foul names.

The next time your child has a tantrum, ask yourself what the tantrum is really about? Is it about cleaning his room? Or is it about some other stress in his life?

6. Get Your Tantrum-Prone Teen to Talk

If your teenager is prone to tantrums, you might wonder how on earth you can talk to them without getting them angry.

You can begin by talking to your child about non-controversial subjects. It creates a flow of open communication in your home. When communication is generally more open, you may find it gets less heated around controversial topics.

Be patient, it may take several tries to have a successful, calm conversation.

Related content: 5 Secrets for Communicating with Your Teenager

Conclusion

There is a silver lining to teen tantrums. But you have to look at it in the context of normal adolescent development.

Your teen is a work in progress—we all are. To be successful as an adult, she will have to be able to identify and advocate for her own needs and persist in the face of adversity.

Realize that when your teen is pushing—albeit inappropriately—she is practicing behaviors that, when refined, are very useful life skills to have as an adult. There’s nothing wrong with trying to have things your way if you do it in an appropriate and gracious manner.

Related Content:
Acting Out in Public: Is Your Child’s Behavior Holding You Hostage?
Angel Child or Devil Child? When Kids Save Their Bad Behavior for You

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About

Michael Kramer, PhD is a Licensed Psychologist in the State of Maine. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kentucky. His Portland practice is quite varied, providing psychotherapy to children, adolescents, couples, and families. In addition, he is an Organizational Consultant and provides multiple services to a wide variety of for-profit and non-profit businesses. A final area of specialization is Sports Psychology.

Comments (12)
  • mom of 13 year old boy
    My son is the same. He’s acting out in school and being disrespectful to teachers and myself. When i get notified by the school about his disrespect with a teacher, i dread him coming home from school because I know anything I saw will end in a blowMore up. I refuse to not discuss these incidents but they happen so often, we have these discussions weekly. I like the idea of asking him what he wants and if the way he acts ever gets him what he wants.
  • Jen
    My 17 yo daughter has been increasingly, lying, stealing my credit card and drinking. In addition she's also failing some classes in school. She's incredibly private and rigid and doesn't talk us. We've recently started enforcing consequences and now she's having tantrums when we remove privileges.More She's told me she hates me and there is nothing good in her life and we're the reason she feels so bad about herself. We're at our wits end trying to have a civil conversation. What else can we do?
    • Denise Rowden, Parent CoachEP Coach

      Thank you for reaching out to Empowering Parents. We have had many parents share similar stories, so you are not alone. We have several articles that offer tips for managing this type of behavior that can be found here: https://www.empoweringparents.com/search/victim+thinking.

      We appreciate you being part of our Empowering Parents community and wish you all the best moving forward. Take care.

  • Allison D
    My daughter Lisa (13y) has tantrums once every half-month. She bangs on the walls of her bedroom. she screams at me and uses mean words. I know 2 year olds act like this but not 13. Any tips to stop her tantrums?
    • Denise Rowden, Parent CoachEP Coach

      Welcome to Empowering Parents. We hear from many parents who are facing similar struggles with their teens, so you are not alone. We have several articles that offer helpful tips for managing outbursts and tantrums, and also what you can do to help your daughter learn more effective coping and problem solving skills. You can find those here: https://www.empoweringparents.com/article-categories/child-behavior-problems/outbursts-temper-tantrums/

      We appreciate you being part of our Empowering Parents community. Be sure to check back and let us know how things are going. Take care.

  • Everly
    Hi my daughter is almost 16, she doesn't want to do anything else but spend all day on the computer. She's failed some class last year and heading down that path this school year. Since taking the computer away causes a lot of commotions I refrain from having internet connectionMore at home be she managed to get online because of open wifi. I tried setting up parental controls but she resets the computer which removes me as the administrator thus gives her access all the time versus the limits I set.
  • Zander
    Tried this several times and it does not work.
  • Lorribella

    Hi my daughter is 13 and I'm starting to get concerned. She always wants to be up in her room, she's constantly on some form of technology and is throwing tantrums and not doing a thing she's asked.

    Every weekend she just wants to laze about in pjs and rarely arranges to meet with friends.

    She's also constantly late for school and seems to have no enthusiasm for anything except her fone!

    I have tried talking to her but she never wants to tell me anything and I don't know what to do or where to go.

    Plz help xxx

    • Darlene EP

      Lorribella 

      The behaviors you describe, as

      frustrating and worrisome as they are, are actually quite common and normal for

      a child your daughter’s age. We hear from many parents who are seeing the same

      behaviors in their children. James Lehman wrote a great article on this subject

      that you may find helpful titled https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/sudden-behavior-changes-in-kids-part-i-what-do-they-mean/ It is not surprising

      that your daughter prefers to be in her room  glued to her technology

      because that is a main source of socialization and entertainment for kids

      today. This does not mean that having tantrums or being late to school is ok,

      however. We recommend that you ignore the protesting when she is asked to do

      something. You can say something like, “I know you don’t want to clean your

      room, but yelling at me is not going to get it cleaned, so get it done” and

      then turn around and walk away. Another article you might find helpful for

      getting to school on time is https://www.empoweringparents.com/article/my-kid-wont-get-out-of-bed-stop-the-morning-madness-now/ Thank you for

      writing in. Take care.

  • Lucy

    My son is a nightmare. Very aggressive, shouting swearing throws things.

    It is usually over nothing . Today I asked him to put his glasses on and he took off swearing at me.

    I have taken his Xbox last week but he still had phone which I have taken today. Iv took the phone etc before but it's not really improved the situation.

    I have been Gp to refer him for anger but she won't. He has been terrible in school too but settled Down the past 2 months after moving forms. Nothing I say is good enough it's like walking on egg shells. He has also been running out of the house too. I done what it said on here ,go and try to speak to him and say we need to have the convo but I just got more abuse.

  • acsorenson

    I'm aware this is a year old now, but it certainly is apropos to what we're dealing with right now.  My almost 13 year old daughter verbally aggressive to her 18 year old sister who has severe special needs.  There's never been any real jealousy from her before and I've always been very careful to give her one on one time and make sure she knows that I'm here for her.  This past summer we've had to deal with several screaming temper tantrums after I've told her to ease up on her sister.  She immediately launches into the "You love her more, just because she's autistic"  routine, which she knows is completely untrue, but pushes my buttons.  When she's being particularly rude or mean, I call her on it and it turns into an epic screaming, crying temper tantrum that I've never seen from either of my kids before, including the terrible two's.  She doesn't care who hears her, and it goes on for hours.  

    It happened again tonight when she used foul language and I sent her to her room.  She's always been such an amazing girl...an honor roll student, sweet and loving and now she's cursing, slamming doors and being verbally aggressive to the person who deserves it the least (her sister).

    Her father and I are divorced amicably and he lives here in our town.  She sees him at least twice a week and she would NEVER pull this with him.  Why is Mom the "safe" one?  And the one who gets all of the abuse?  Sad and frustrated heart here.

    • RachelAnne
      acsorenson I have the exact same issue here. I have a 14 year old son who has been acting out against his brother who is autistic. He doesn't seem to care all of a sudden about the fact his brother doesn't process things the same way. He gets aggressive andMore the biggest problem being that his little brother is frightened of him. You see, my 14 year old is 190 lbs and 6 foot 2. And he seems to know it, if you get my meaning. He does not do this around Dad ever. At least not to the extent that he does with me, its frustrating, and its exhausting. This stuff goes on and on for hours over nothing!!! Sometimes its about his brother or sometimes it could be about taking out the trash. This website seems to have a lot of strategies that may help. We shall see! I sympathize with you though and I hope you got some good advice.
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