Admit it: How many times have you slammed the imaginary brake while your teenager is learning how to drive? Guiding your teen through this new and exciting time can be a little nerve-wracking! Considering 1 in every 4 new drivers will have a collision within their first year of driving, safe driving skills are a worthwhile investment in your teen’s safety and future.
Parenting a teen can be confusing. When your teen vulnerably lowers their guard to reveal world than when we were teens. Sometimes we mess up because they have us frazzled. But mostly, we fail because we are imperfect. Take heart. And take a moment to laugh, knowing you’re not doing half-bad as a parent if you avoid these fails.
Teens by nature crave independence and privacy. As parents, how far should you go to respect their privacy while still ensuring that they’re making sound decisions? “The goal is for teens to gradually assume more responsibility for their own judgment about things,” says Dr. Rochelle Harris, a clinical psychologist. “This isn’t clear-cut, like when they turn 16, you get off of their Facebook or Instagram. It’s really more of making sure those foundations of communication are there.”
Many teenagers are highly motivated to begin working and earning their own money. According to experts, getting a summer job is a rite of passage and an important developmental milestone. “It allows teens to take instruction from someone other than a parent, and be responsible to people other than their immediate family,” says Michelle Cook, an advisor with Calgary Career Counseling, “real world experience is a huge thing to gain.” But it can be hard for your teen to land that first summer job when they have no experience or references and they don’t know where to start.
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