This post about teens looking to friends instead of parents for advice is made possible with support from the Center for Parent and Teen Communication, part of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. All opinions are my own.
Looking to friends instead of parents for advice
One of the things that has been a noticeable change as our kids have shifted into being teenagers? When they start looking to friends instead of parents for advice. There are so many changes during the teen years — and I swear this one starts right before they officially turn 13, but it’s happened with all 3 of ours like clockwork!
Is it a little strange for me as a mom, the one they have always come to for advice? Yes! Is it bad? No! I’m happy they are expanding their world, and their friends kind of ARE their world, for most of the teen years. It’s actually a lifelong thing, reaching to friends for advice, and as they get older, looking to parents for advice will come back into the picture. Hey, I’m 47, and I still seek advice from trusted friends!
Kids generally start to spend more time with friends and peers as they navigate middle and high school. It’s pretty normal. So it’s natural for them to start discussing what’s happening and looking to those friends for advice about their life. Parents spend the years leading up to the teen years guiding them, giving advice, and the teen years give them a chance to kind of test those waters as they seek and give advice on their own. Parents are kind of the fallback for advice, but the teen years are the time for kids to tentatively — and with a safety net (parents) — start navigating the world without us holding their hands.
Did you know that during the teen years, kids have all kinds of developmental growth just like when they were babies? It’s kind of crazy to think about, and super cool that as a parent, you get a front-row seat to see changes during the teen years akin to babies rolling over, crawling, walking, etc.
The Center for Parent and Teen Communication, part of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is celebrating teen milestones through November—one per day. They’ve written about these milestones in bite-sized chunks—all under 100 words. Sign up for CPTC’s 100-word, daily parenting tip newsletter along with me today: http://bit.ly/39KkWpR.
Read the teen milestones and let me know which ones you’ve observed in your teens! Let’s spend some time today celebrating our teens!