From the time a child exits the womb, their task is to leave home on the way to becoming an independent, productive and responsible human being. Their first attempt to escape could come at age 5 or 10 or 15 or later, but escape they must.
The task of the parents is a contradiction. They have to hold on to the child long enough to get them ready for a successful adulthood, but gradually let them go, moving toward the final umbilical snip.
The teenage years are often the most problematic, yet crucial. The child wants to believe they are independent, but they still are being fed, clothed, housed and educated by their parents. They are itching to make all kinds of big decisions with a brain that is not mature enough to support them.
Parents are in the middle of their careers and don’t always have the ability to provide the attention, discipline and patience these years require. The dynamics of these years, though, can determine the quality of relationships for years to come.
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