Taming Teenage Tantrums: A Guide To Teaching Responsibility

The teenage years can present numerous challenges that parents must adapt to, and it’s vital for a child’s development that parents don’t give up on teaching them responsibility, even when they start talking back with an attitude. 

In the second full-length episode of “Parenting,” Dr. Jordan Peterson sits down with parents Jamie and Casey to talk through ways they can foster responsibility with their 13-year-old son, who is prone to throwing tantrums when he’s told something he doesn’t like. 

“We’ve got two kids, a 13-year-old and a 5-year-old,” the father, Casey, said. “Our 13-year-old, of course, was the only child for seven years. During that time, we spoiled the heck out of him because I grew up with nothing. And Jamie grew up in a household where things were love.”

“We both ended up funneling our attention on our children into things for those two reasons,” Casey added. “As a result, our 13-year-old throws tantrums quite often, loud screaming tantrums when he doesn’t get his way. And we’re trying to figure out how to get him through this part of his life to become a responsible adult.”

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The parents asked Peterson how they can handle their teen’s behavior and push him in the right direction. 

“I think it helps when I talk to him like a human being,” Jamie said. “So if I ask him to do dishes or I say, ‘I really need you to help me with this, do you think you can do that?’ And he’ll say, ‘Yes.’”

Peterson then pointed to multiple questions parents can ask their children about contributing to household needs. 

“Well, he’s old enough to start thinking about that because he may never even notice that if he does pull his weight, he feels better about himself, and he’s more mature,” Peterson said. 

Watch “Teaching Responsibility,” the latest episode of “Parenting,” on DailyWire+ to find out how Peterson advised that Casey and Jaimie, and parents like them, foster a relationship with their teenagers while also pushing them to become responsible adults.