Discussion forum for parents in Australia
3 weeks ago
3 weeks ago - last edited 3 weeks ago
Hey @ceecee101,
Welcome to ReachOut! Thank you for sharing what you’re going through with the community. I can see that things have been taxing for you and your husband with your 15-year-old boy. I want to start off by acknowledging the effort you have made to set boundaries for your kids. Often setting boundaries can be difficult with teenagers, so you and your husband have done an amazing job! It also sounds like you have a strong and loving relationship with your husband which is wonderful for you and your kids!
Being suspended numerous times would be exhausting for you both. The school can provide support to parents and their teens by sharing strategies and advice, or at times referring them to other services. I am wondering if you are being supported by the school for your 15-year-old boy? I can also hear that you have seen a video online of your 15-year-old vaping and holding hands with a girl. This would be overwhelming to witness and may have also been frustrating for you. I’d like to share these articles on Vaping and Relationships that provide some insight and advice on speaking to your teen about vaping and being in a romantic relationship. If you have a chance to speak to your 15-year-old at another time about this, I encourage you to explore this article on Communication with your Teen and another on Peer pressure.
It sounds like the comments made by your 15-year-old have made you consider whether or not your boundaries are strict. How you’re feeling in response to this is completely normal and understandable. Sometimes, speaking to others like friends and family can be helpful during times like these. So, I am wondering if you have spoken to any friends or family about your 15-year-old and how you’re feeling? In case you are interested, ReachOut offers free 1:1 parent coaching sessions for parents and carers of young people aged 12-18.
I hope this is helpful for you and look forward to hearing from you soon!
It looks like you’re visiting us from a country other than Australia.
We are an Australian service and think you’d benefit more from looking up a similar service in your country.
You are welcome to look around the forums, but please don’t make an account or post, as we can’t offer you the help you may need.
Before you go ahead and post, you should know that we remove non-Australian accounts – not because we don’t want to help or connect with you, but because we may not be able to provide you with the service that you require.