I recently attended a preparation conference for a high school graduation. The school staff ran a slide show for us, there was no word in this slide show, but showing two photos for each graduating student. The first one was their 2 years old photo with their nick name and the second one their present photo and their full name. This slide show is surprisingly powerful. Many parents started sobbing while watching the show. Each kid looked so innocent and shiny in their two years-old photo. In their present photo, they looked different, some of them may look sad, rebelling, or full of confidence, but each of them still look innocent and beautiful. Along the show, the background music was broadcasting “what a wonderful world”.

Many parents experienced teenager's turbulence and struggled a lot. They almost forgot how cute their child was when they were younger. They could not understand why suddenly their baby angel became a monster. Many parents don't know how to deal with this kind of situation. Adolescence is a very important transition stage in everybody's life. Teenagers may look rebelling, not cooperating, but those times are exactly when they need help and guidance from parents.

A certain guidelines and limitations are necessary in order to help adolescence go through this turbulence safe and sound. How can we get them accepting us and reach common agreements? How can we help them understand the meaning of life and foster responsibilities? We, as parents, need to learn some strategies and skills.

The next event hosted by Inner Growth Center is on May 13 th and the topic is “How to Negotiate Agreements and Establish Clear Guidelines to Foster Responsibilities among Teenagers?” Dr. Michael Loughran is both a psychotherapist and a psychoanalyst and treats adolescents in his private practice in Palo Alto for a range of disorders including anxiety, depression, behavioral disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders. He is also an associate professor in Stanford Psychiatry Department.