Scripts For Teens: Disrespect & Consequences That Actually Work

Heavy-handed consequences for teen disrespect don't build respect. They build teenagers who count the days until they can leave. Here's what works instead.

This Week’s Scenario

Your teenager snaps at you, speaks to a sibling in a way that makes your jaw tighten, or uses a tone with the other parent that you wouldn’t tolerate from anyone else in your life. And the instinct is to come down hard. Ground them. Take the phone. Make the consequence severe enough that it doesn’t happen again.

Here’s the question wo…