Knowledge is power when it comes to helping a troubled teen.
Informed parents are wise parents who are capable of helping teens overcome their adolescent problems.
Parents can use information and tips that are available on the internet, in books and forums to gather information on how they can effectively help their teenager to become a responsible adult.
Adolescence is a period in life when the child goes through physical and emotional changes.
Parents also need to change their attitudes at this time.
The rules made when the teen was younger will no longer work and  parents need to make new sets of rules which are flexible yet rules that will keep the behavior of the teen in check.
Communication with the teen is vital at this point and the teen needs to be monitored at all times.
Parents will need to change their role from dictators and role models to friends and consultants.
Parents should seek external help to reform the teen if they are unable to manage their teenager's problems.
Society and medical science acknowledge the problems that teenagers face and professional help is available.
Physicians can correct teenage mood swings caused by hormonal imbalance with medication and psychologists can help troubled teens with expert therapies.
Specially trained counselors can motivate the teen to learn to lead a more positive way of life.
Communication in a friendly fashion will go a long way in helping a troubled teen.
Parents should empathize with the child at this time.
Criticism will result in rebellion and defiance.
Parents should get the teen's cooperation in turning his or her life around.
Instruction should be by example rather than by regulation.
The family should be a democratic entity and not a didactic one.
Parents should offer their help often and be the shoulder for the troubled teen to cry on.
Teenage activities need to be monitored by parents.
Parents should know who their adolescent's friends are, where the teenager is going, why the teenager is behaving in an uncontrollable manner and what the teenager does in his or her spare time.
Parents need to set reasonable limits.
They should discuss the benefits of these limits with the teenager.
If the teenager feels the limits are unreasonable, suitable changes should be made to the limits within reason.
  Parents need to set goals for teenagers.
   They need to show them that going to college and getting a career are important.
If the teen has dreams, parents need to encourage the dreams until their fulfillment.
Parents should not limit the dreams of their teenager by forcing him or her to be conventional.
Parents should also help teenagers deal with disappointments in a positive way.
They should be able to rejoice in the successes of the teenager and deal positively with the failures.
Parents are the main pivots that help to turn around the life of a troubled teen.
Parents need to make changes in their attitudes and values when the child becomes an adolescent.
Parents should make every effort in correcting and working with the teenager to overcome his or her many adolescent problems.