Parenting Advice

Teen Age 15-18

Here’s where you get fired as the boss. If you've done a good enough job you get rehired as a trusted friend and advisor. If you continue to do a good job, your teen may well even take your advice.

It's appropriate for your teen to want to make his own decisions now, and to think for himself.

And yet teens are still developing, and have widely varying levels of maturity. It can be a scary time for parents, especially those who don't yet trust their teen's judgment.

The most effective parenting strategy with teens is to focus on the relationship. The only leverage you will ever really have with your child is love.

It's appropriate for teens to be oriented more to their peers than their parents now, but kids who are well grounded in their families will respond well to parents' efforts to stay connected.

And parents who have bonded adequately with their children at each earlier stage will feel invested enough in their teens to stay connected, whatever fierce effort is required.

Reconnecting With Your Teen
Much of the same advice applies that was true when he was a toddler: Reconnect every day, and don't wait when you see there's repair work to be done.

Discussions: How to have the hard ones
How to get your teen to talk with you, how to become a brilliant listener, 50 questions to ask your teen, and more.

Dinner: Keep Your Teen Part of the Family
The more frequently teens eat dinner with their families the better they do in school, the happier they say they are, and the less likely they are to get involved with drugs, alcohol, sex, or vandalism.