How do you keep your sanity with teenagers?

I have a 15 year old that has been driving me around the bend and back again for the last 6 months. Ninety percent of what he says is either an attack on his brother, sister, father or me or a complaint about how hard his life is.

He’ll come home and tear into his little brother about how he thinks he is a lego freak. And then he’ll go on and on and on about it until the two of them are yelling. He doesn’t just go after him we are all fair game.

When I try to talk to him about his behaviour he shouts me down with things like, “I’m a terrible child and you’re all perfect”. He never apologizes for hurtful things he says calling us “too sensitive”.

I know much of what is going on is typical teenage stuff but some days I want to shove him out of the house and tell him to find some where else to live.

He does have glimmers of the child I know. He is very sensitive and is a good friend to his friends. I just wish he’d bring more of that home.

For all the parents here who have been there and done that: what have you done to cope? I have two more teenagers coming up the pipe and, although I know they won’t be exactly like their big brother the thought makes me want to move to a different country.