'They'll come back': Study tackles tricky teen-parent relationships
A new study tackles the common challenge parents often face in raising teenagers.
Posted — UpdatedAccording to Joe Austerman, a doctor at Cleveland Clinic Children's, the teenage years are a time of trial and error as they discover what means to get older. Mutual feelings of connection and understanding are key to their future as healthy adults.
"Having strong, safe bonds where you can learn and practice these skills confers a better benefit to you later on in life because you've learned skills to interact with others," Austerman said. "So you're more effective at it."
According to the study, teens need parents to provide a "safe space" where they can make mistakes and learn socialization skills. Without those learning opportunities, they may struggle later in life.
"Parents always feel as if their teens are growing farther away from them, that they're permanently losing these bonds," Austerman said. "But being there and consistently understanding and trying to connect with them will pay off when they're adults. They'll come back -- trust me."
The study also shows teens who had better connections with family and at school had as much as 66 percent lower odds of engaging in health-risk behaviors and experiences in adulthood.
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