When speaking to an immigrant family, you may hear them singing the praises of the idea of America; within this idea is their story. There are stories of having escaped a dictator’s brutality, social unrest, or sub-par living conditions. Whatever the reason, a journey was embarked on in the quest for a better life.

When parents who have given so much see their teen take without thought for the sweat it took to earn the money to buy the item, it can be very frustrating to say the least. When a teen screams, “I want to wear what everyone else is wearing! You just don’t understand.” This kind of tantrum can look, well, ungrateful. And that can set up a lot of friction that is not only generational, but cultural.

These examples involve material things, but immigrant parents can be equally frustrated with a teen that needs a “touchy feely” parent or may be depressed. The common refrain is, “What do they have to be depressed about? They have it so much better than I ever did.”

It is important to realize that your teen is still a teen. Not having the same social challenges doesn’t mean they are unappreciative. The following tips will hopefully help:

1.Don’t take it personally. Teens are supposed to be selfish while they learn to be more considerate. Taking this personally it will only frustrate you.

2.Authoritarian Parenting. Being strict to the point of suffocating your teen will not make them better people, but it will make them resentful and even angry at you.

3.Empathy. Respect your teen’s struggle even if it doesn’t look like the obvious challenges of your youth. Your teen will feel more like talking to you about their problems if they get a sense of empathy from you.

Related posts:

1. 4 Tips to Help You Parent Better