Teen tyranny image ‘so unfair’ they say
Ulster teenagers - are they tyrannical terrors like the infamous Kevin and Perry on television with no respect for their parents? Definitely not - according to the general consensus, that image is just 'so unfair', they insist!
| We do have our moments and sometimes argue – but overall my parents are totally great. |
Kevin and Perry may be hilarious the way they lurch around the house and whine when asked to do anything by their parents - but they do not reflect most teenagers' relationships with their parents.
According to two new research reports released by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, most teenagers actually see their parents in a positive light. And the studies show that parents tend to negotiate with their children rather than simply lay down the law.
Mairead Duffy, (16) says: "I am very close to my mum and dad. I talk openly to both my parents. I find it really easy to talk to my mum in particular, we are quite alike. When I tell her stuff, she listens. If sometimes I feel like blowing my top I know that I can. She is one in a billion.
"My parents and I constantly negotiate things, sometimes I don't get my own way but that's OK. The other day I was asked to clean the living room. I really did not want to so I offered to clean my bedroom and bathroom instead - and that was fine."
Seventeen-year-old Lisa Skinner says her relationship with her parents continues to improve as she gets older. "It's a big change from the past. When I was younger, if I couldn't handle something I would stomp off. Now I am more mature and able to deal with things properly.
"I really love having a chat with my mum about life - boys, fashion, school, work, friends. I keep private things to myself and my parents give me respect and privacy. We do have our moments and sometimes argue - mainly with my dad about boyfriends - but overall my parents are totally great."
Thomas Kielty (15) added: "Generally, I get on with my parents. If my mum says do something and I don't want to, we talk and we compromise. I think they trust me more now because they let me go to parties and let me stay out later. I don't abuse the times they set."
But 18-year-old Colin Moore disagrees and thinks teenagers are "actually quite well portrayed by the whole Kevin and Perry scenario. When I was a young teenager, I would never have dreamt of talking back to a sixth year. Now respect for older people seems to have faded.
"I think the idea of improved teen-parent relationships is only a faade which becomes really clear when the contemporary teen is outside the home. Today's teens are tomorrow's adults what a frightening thought!"
About the team
This article was produced by members of the Children's Express Belfast bureau. It was published in the Belfast Telegraph.
