Helping to resolve difficulties between parents and their teenage children is a key focus of our work.
Tensions developing between teenagers and their parents is a normal part of growing up. Adolescence can be a challenging time and many young people find it hard to express their feelings and needs. Mediation helps to rebuild relationships between parents and their teenage children.
It also prevents homelessness by helping young people to stay in the family home rather than leaving of their own volition or being told to leave.
All families have disagreements but tensions often flare when stepfamilies come together. Sometimes finding the right words to say to each other and having to listen to how the other person feels can be highly emotional and very uncomfortable.
The situation became so difficult for a teenage boy from a blended family that he moved out and went to live with a family friend.
Although this gave everyone some temporary respite, even the son agreed that this was not an ideal long-term solution. It was his choice to leave but he missed his family.
At this stage, West Kent Mediation was contacted and assigned mediators to the case.
After listening to the issues and concerns of all the family members individually, the mediators were able to represent the issues to the parents, the son and his siblings in a less emotional way.
This enabled everyone to understand each other and get to the real issues without getting too angry or upset.
The mediators ensured the meetings were focused and, when progress stalled, compromises were made.
Eventually, an agreement was reached in which everyone felt heard and boundaries were set. The son then felt happy to return home and be part of the family again.
Families don’t come with a manual and mediation can be a helpful tool during those potentially difficult teenage years and beyond.
“It was a very beneficial process and I cannot thank you enough for your assistance and guidance.”
