Dealing With BAD Parents

This month I focused on dealing with your Parent(s) with the idea that you had “good” parents. If you are reading this, I am assuming that you that have a “bad” parent or you know someone who has a bad parent, or you ARE the bad parent. I won’t get into the definition of a bad parent, if you’re dealing with one you know it. I just want to offer you some tips on dealing with a bad parent. Hopefully, I can be of some help to you.

First of all, know that it’s not your fault. No one is really taught how to be a parent. We are supposed to learn this (I guess) by watching our parents while we’re trying to figure out how to be a child. There are plenty of books on parenting, but by the time most people seek this type of help, it’s usually really late in the game. We usually model our parenting style after how we were “parented”. If things turned out good for you then you definitely want to try to repeat this with your kids, but if things did not turn out so good, you try to do the complete opposite of what was done to you. Unfortunately, bad habits seem to be passed down to the next generation (even if you do not realize it).
There are 3 main reasons a person becomes a bad parent: one, the person is just not prepared to be a parent,  two, the person is experiencing some type of issue (a hardship, addiction, mental illness or abuse) or three, they have made decisions that put them in situations where they could not function properly as a parent.

So what should you do if you are in this situation?  First, I would suggest you seek out a family member for love, support, and guidance. You’re probably already living with a family member if you have a bad parent (this happens a lot). Also, family members can help you understand your parent a little bit better. They also can help you communicate your concerns with your parents when issues come up.

Even if you have family members you can rely on for support, I recommend finding a mentor. This can be another family member or just another adult who you respect. Maybe someone from your school, your place of worship, your coach, or maybe even the parent of one of your friends. Whats great about a GOOD mentor (especially if he’s not a part of your family) is that he’s going to ”tell it like it is”. A mentor can definitely help you make better decisions as you approach adulthood.

What if you just don’t have anyone you feel comfortable speaking to or just don’t have anyone there at all? Then I will suggest you go online and look for help. There are many support groups for teens, there are also places to find a mentor online, and they may be able to help you find someone close to you.

I know I didn’t give a lot of information here, but hopefully it’s enough to get you started if you find you need this type of help. PLEASE hit me up if you have any questions or comments.

Good luck to you young Brother!!!

*Note to Bad parents: If you’re reading this, take it as a cue to GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!!!
Do whatever it takes to get yourself in a position to be the parent you should be!*