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Navigate: FAQ Home Page > Puberty > Conflict between son and mom
Posted on: 02/12/2010
Question
Why does my stepson patronize his mother? He has subtly and indirectly created an adversarial relationship between the two.
Answer
Your son at the age of 14 years old is an adolescent and is actually entering a phase of life which is geared towards separation from parent(s) and developing his own identity. Adolescence is a time of great physical, hormonal, and emotional change, often times occurring without consciousness or awareness of the adolescent. For some teens, depending upon the level of attachment and identification with their parent, one of the easiest ways to separate from their parent is to act out through condescending and angry behaviors which serve to create distance between parent and child. Of course there may be other previous emotional issues or circumstances that would cause your stepson to be patronizing, but this is a very typical time for teens to enter into adversarial positions with their parents.