When the Going Gets Tough...

As a teen, you might not always see eye-to-eye with your parents. Sometimes, they force you to do mundane chores and boss you around just because you live in *their* house. Sometimes they won't let you go on that secret rendezvous with you-know-who. It can get pretty tense in the household and at times can feel like a pressure cooker with no release valve.

So I've titled this blog after the saying "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going..." That's because many young people today tend to walk out when things get a little heated at home. That's their release valve. So when the going gets tough, they get going (y'know... run away).

Although it is a release valve for household pressures, it isn't a very good one. It's early signs of an easy quitter. People who walk out a lot in their youth tend to develop the bad habit of running away from tense situations with the ones they love - the ones who love them. Fast forward a couple of decades and it could mean walking out on their own children. It's not a good habit to start.

So, try to find a different release valve. Pray. Talk to a sibling. Call a friend. Let the boil simmer down before reacting. Learn how to resolve conflicts rather than run away from them. It's easier while you're young.

NB: This doesn't really apply for those who are getting abused at home though. I'm just talking about simple arguments that culminate to become a major source of tension.