As some parents have been homeschooling their children for a while before they hit their teens, it shakes them when the sweet, compliant child suddenly refuses to do their bidding. The teenager firmly believes that she knows better than the parent and is not afraid to voice this sentiment. What makes it worse is that the child is confused and conflicted because sometimes she wants to be independent and grown up while at other times she still wants to be young and carefree. There is no single way that works great with all teenagers but here are some general guidelines that would help in dealing with them in the homeschool classroom.
Communicate Constantly
There are a million different conflicts that occur in the mind of a teenager and the homeschooling parent will have to communicate constantly to know what these are. At times the homeschool student will clam up and be unresponsive to the overtures made by the parent. Instead of seeing this as a threat to authority, just give the teenager some time and space to sort through whatever is bugging them. Let them know that you are available to chat if they want to, then proceed to ignore them and perform other tasks. The teenager will talk when she feels the need. Do not lose patience and deliver ultimatums, as that will lead to drama and nothing will actually be solved.
Have Consistent Rules
Even though they have grown up, they still require to follow the ground rules of the homeschool classroom. You may adapt the more childish rules to cover teenage behavior, but the rules must stay consistent. The basic structure of the school day must stay the same. The classwork must be completed before the fun begins, the chores must be done just as they are each day, and any extra activity needs to be cleared by the homeschool teacher before performing. Remember your homeschool teenage student is bound to push you as she tests how much you can take. You have to teach her to submit to your authority with grace and know that you always have her best interests at heart.
