Joanna Fortune: My teenager barely talks to me — what have I done wrong?

I'm fed up with their rude behaviour. I'm tempted to stop doing their washing and cooking their meals, but it would probably make things worse. What would you suggest?

Dr Joanna Fortune: "Adolescence is a stage of identity reformation and the pull is to prioritise your world outside of family, in other words, she will seek to push you away so that she can lean into her peer group and the outside world beyond you."

My teenage daughter barely talks to me. And if I ask her a question, she barks an answer. I've no idea what I've done to deserve such treatment. I've asked her if anything is wrong, but she shrugs and walks away. I'm fed up with her rude behaviour. I'm tempted to stop doing her washing and cooking her meals, but it would probably make things worse. What would you suggest?

The teenage years are a time of intense change, not only for our teenagers who are in the throes of physical, neurological, social and emotional changes but also for parents and caregivers who must grow their parenting in line with their children’s growth and development. This period requires a significant parental pivot in the teenage years, which can feel like a time of emotional disconnection, to maintain our parent-child connection.