GAINING INDEPENDENCE As your children grow, they will experience the need for freedom and responsibility, but they still need adult guidance to help them make age appropriate choices. MIDDLE SCHOOLERS When kids reach middle school, it is normal for them to seek more freedoms. They want to feel in control and capable of handling any situation- even when that is just not possible. Kids need to learn that with all new freedoms come responsibilities and that this is a gradual process. As a parent or caregiver, you can communicate and model behavior in a manner that aids this process. HIGH SCHOOLERS High schoolers are taking on more responsibilities and more adult roles, even though they are still young and their brains are still far from being fully developed. As a result, the things we can see are, one moment they feel like an adult and the next they want to be cared for like a child. Teens sense that they are becoming more like adults and want to compete in the same world. At times they feel embarrassed by their parents. This is natural, but even though they may act capable and ready to take on the world, they still need and are watching their parents’ examples as they make decisions around important topics like alcohol.
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Gaining Independence
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3/21/17 3:16 PM
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