TEENAGE REBELLION

''You are grounded !'' Mum shouted back at me.

''Let me be!'' i exclaimed. ''I need my space for God's sake''.

I walked out of the house angrily shutting the door in her face.
No one cared, no one understood how hard it was for me.
Waking up daily was like a night mare. Nothing seemed right these days.
My grades had dropped drastically and i badly hated school.

.My name is Abdullahi Usman. I am fourteen years old and the shortest boy in class
My secondary school is a mixed school and one of the most expensive schools in Abuja, Nigeria.
Daddy is an Oil magnate who is based in Port Harcourt. 
We hardly see him except on good days, Oh! those days, he would come home drunk and sober. He always reminded me of a new born baby eagerly waiting for mummy's breast. On days when he wasn't drunk, he would take me on his driving trips. we would even play tennis together at his club house and share a bottle of  fruit wine.

Dad and mum had marital issues beyond repair. He believed that women should worship the ground men walked on. I still remember their countless fights. So many occasions, he would throw out her clothes and ask her to leave. 
Every day, the neighbors would gather to witness the next bout of fight between my parents.

Today was no different from every other day of my life. I was fed up with their frequent quarrels and mum's nagging. I wanted to run away, or better still be able to make my own decisions.

I had ditched school, and gone smoking with some guys who lived down the street. They all seemed to understand me better than any other person on the face of the earth. We always talked about making it in Naija. They opened my eyes to see a faster way of progress. No man really needed education to be sharp and make quick cash. Why waste time in school and be bullied? Why waste money and suffer pain from stupid rich kids?

This scenario is typical for most homes as some parents find it difficult to keep their family together and handle their kids,especially teenagers. Sometimes, even kids raised in a godly environment and surrounded with love still commit terrible crimes or run away from home and parents begin to wonder where they have erred.

''What am i doing wrong as a father?''
''How come Fatima got pregnant?"

WHAT ARE THE LIKELY CAUSES OF TEENAGE REBELLION?

• Struggle for acceptance; Kids want to be accepted. Being part of the happening places and fitting into the society can lead to rebellion. It is our duty to let the kids know the reasons why they are different and do not need to fit in. Encourage them to have the courage to do what is right, despite all odds.
• Struggle for Control ; They get to a certain age and begin to feel that they can now decide what happens in their lives. Mum is no longer required to tell them what to eat, wear and where to go. A certain level of independence should be given to such kids and it's every parents duty to let them know 'right' from 'wrong'
• Struggle for attention; Some kids always feel neglected and long for attention from their parents and loved ones and will do crazy stuffs just to be noticed. Parents should always be there to compliment, correct and talk to their children despite their very busy schedules.
• Peer Influence; What type of friends do your children keep? As a parent,  have you made an effort to know where they live? Peers can either influence your child positively or negatively.
• Need for independence; How often do you cage your children? Some parents do not mind having a 24 hour monitor on each of their kids that would beep whenever they do not go to the places they want. As parents,we need to allow them experience more freedom as they get older But never forget to add that freedom comes with huge responsibilities.
• Parental discord ;Having to disagree and fight in front of the kids can lead to rebellion. Kids tend to exhibit tendencies of discord by being withdrawn, always bitter and hateful. Parents should learn to keep all manner of issues away from their kids.

WHAT ARE YOUR OPINIONS ON THE ISSUE?