19/08/2026
Think of a highly reactive teenager as someone speaking at his natural volume in a room. In a room with curtains, carpet and cushions, his voice sounds normal. In a bare concrete room, the same voice echoes until it sounds like shouting.
The speaker has not changed.
The room has.
A quick-tempered, deeply feeling teenager in a home with predictable routines, adults who repair relationships after arguments, and room to make mistakes may still be intense, but manageable.
Put the same temperament in a home filled with unpredictable moods, constant comparisons and affection that disappears when marks drop, and that intensity may become much harder to manage.
Same temperament. Different room.
