Teenage years are filled with all kinds of problems-lack of self-confidence, nagging parents, peer pressure, doing well in the exams and getting into university. Some of their problems result from the emotional and physical changes teenagers are going through.

Teenagers are extremely concerned about their appearance. So, it's no wonder they spend so much time in front of the mirror! They notice every single thing about themselves - their body changing shape,

hair appearing in unlikely places, annoying spots breaking out. Teenagers are rarely happy about these changes which can affect how they feel about themselves.

Sometimes, parents hurt their teenage children's feelings by making jokes about their appearance. They also tend to pay little attention to teenage worries and think of them as being silly. Your daughter may be convinced that her nose looks awful and that plastic surgery is the only solution even though everybody else fails to notice the problem. By trying to explain that other people do not normally pay as much attention to our physical features as we do ourselves, we can help teenagers feel better about themselves and become more confident.

Teenagers also tend to avoid doing things they don't like, especially helping around the house. They are likely to try to get out of doing household chores - and certainly don't respond well to orders. The more you discuss the type of household chore your teenage son or a daughter might not mind doing, the better. He or she, for example, may be happy to go to the supermarket, but hate the idea of washing dishes.

It also works better if your children can, at least to some degree, do things in their own way and time. This might seem annoying, but if all you do is order them around, you can be sure that next time they will not do a thing. Always thank your children for their effort. And if they do something that's more than just a simple chore - decorating, perhaps you might want to pay them.