Fluidity is necessary for parents raising teenage boys and girls

If you are a parent or the teacher of teenagers, you know how much they take pride in being correct and in proving adults wrong. Rightfully so. After all, society loves to make cliche statements to them such as, “When you get in the REAL WORLD.” Their world is very real.

As a parent, one of the greatest gifts my sons continually teach me is the importance of “Fluidity” – the ability for one to remain in a constant state of change and growth. Moms and Dads often go into the tween/teen years with rigid rules their parents raised them by. Then your teenager asks, “Why?” and you begin to realize you don’t have a good “why” to provide him or her. Back in the day, our parents replied with, “Because I said so.” Because many teens feared their parents, you simply shut up. Teens today do not fear their parents -which is GOOD! After all, respect is much important than fear.

Every time you create a rule, ask yourself, “What is the real reason I’m creating this rule or guideline? Is my teenager making a legitimate request to have a little more freedom? Giving him or her a reasonable amount freedom while still under my guidance provides my teenager the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them now (instead of later when the mistakes may be more serious).

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