- Independent thinking
The ability to think outside the box is a skill that will serve your teen in almost all circumstances. This includes critical thinking, which must be fostered from a relatively young age. If you consistently impede your child’s ability to create their own thoughts and opinions you are doing a tremendous disservice to yourself and them in the long run. You should always expect your child to communicate respectfully and remind them of this expectation when necessary but it is important for your child to have enough intellectual freedom to challenge you in respectful ways.
- Money
All parents want to provide the best situations possible for their children. For some parents this means providing for 100% of your child’s financial needs through their teens and early 20’s. This is great in some ways because it allows your children to maximize their extra curricular and academic opportunities but it can be limiting to their personal development. Teens who have lived in an environment wherein they have not learned to prioritize wants and needs and make their own money to supplement parental support may have issues with entitlement and difficulty with financial management.
- Advocacy
Learning to self-advocate is challenging to say the least. It does not necessarily get easier or more comfortable with time but the benefits become apparent. Teaching your child about the importance of Self-advocating encourages them to go after their goals and seek out results rather than participating as passive actors in their own lives.
