Parent-Adolescent Relationships

As the Learning Resources this week show, parents can profoundly influence their teens behavior and decision-making. Although adolescence is often thought of as a time of rebellion and strained parent-teen relationships, research actually suggests that the majority of adolescents think highly of their parents and enjoy spending time with them. Dr. Sommers-Flanagan stresses this fact in this weeks video program, pointing out that teens enjoy spending positive time with parents and look to parents for support during difficult times. Moreover, research suggests that adolescents who have positive relationships with their parents are less likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as substance abuse. Close bonds between parents and adolescent children are not without controversy, however. Some argue that these bonds can become too close and in fact interfere with adolescents healthy development. Instead of learning to be independent, adolescents might continue to rely on their parents and fail to establish separate lives. In this Discussion, you will consider your own thoughts on the nature of healthy parent-adolescent relationships. Reflect on the following:

How would you characterize the ideal parent-teen relationship? The teens in this weeks video program talk about the need for parents to be supportive, encouraging, and understanding. What can parents do to achieve this?
How do you think parents can best balance the need to offer guidance and support to their teens about important issues like drugs, sex, and their education, while also encouraging them to be more independent and take responsibility for their own lives? Does one take precedence over the other?
In this weeks video program, Randal Miller, the Residential Living Department Manager at Trapper Creek Job Corps, emphasizes that adults who work with adolescents should be empathetic toward teens, but remember that their role is not that of a friend. What about parents? Do you think it is appropriate, or even preferable, for parents to be friends to their teens? Why or why not?
With these thoughts in mind, follow the instructions below to post your response to this Discussion topic.

By Day 3
Post a description of your thoughts on what constitutes an ideal relationship between parents and their adolescent children. Explain how parents might best balance the competing needs to provide support and encourage independence, as well as why you believe it is or is not appropriate for parents to be friends to their teens. Be sure to use the Learning Resources to support your thinking.

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