During adolescence, the brain is wired to seek validation from peers over parents, much like how Bollywood stars influence fans on Instagram. A parenting expert explains that teens aren't rejecting you, they're chasing acceptance from friends, but parents need to stay their unconditional safety net.
Sidhika Ma'am, I'm feeling very hurt. Why does my child care more about his friend's opinion than mine? You need to think of their friends as the latest Bollywood influencers. What do you do when there are Bollywood influencers on Instagram? You just can't resist them, right? You want to go, you want to talk to them, you want to get to know them. Imagine your teen as Hrithik Roshan in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, deeply influenced by friends. At this age, friends' opinions matter a lot because their brain is actually thriving on other people. They are taking their family members or their parents specially for granted. You know, when I was 15, I also took my mother for granted. I knew she's always there, but I always wanted her. What I wanted was more validation from my friends. I wanted more validation, more acceptance from my friends, but I also wanted my mother to be unconditionally there as a safety net.
