Comments on: At What Age?

By: Janine

Janine — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:21:08 +0000

In reply to Leanne Barnes. Just regard me as your crash test dummy - if my girls end up in a mess you'll know what NOT to do! Yes the older/younger sibling issue is a BIG problem.

By: Janine

Janine — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:16:23 +0000

In reply to ChrystinaNoel. I so loved you made a PowerPoint presentation - you make me laugh!

By: ChrystinaNoel

ChrystinaNoel — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 13:04:56 +0000

I feel like every time my parents were going to “let me loose” – go to the movies alone, go to the mall alone, there would always be an ease into it phase. It would always involve going places with 1 or 2 friends that my parents also thought had good character – and I guess they figured that anything one of us couldn’t handle we could figure out on our own between the three of us. My parents came to the movies with us once and my mom was shocked – she was impressed that there was no chaos, she was impressed people clapped at the end of the movie – I’m not sure what she was expecting, but I just wanted to see I Walk to Remember. When Christmas shopping at the mall my parents would do periodic check-ins. “Meet me here in an hour and a half.” I guess this is what we did before cell phones. There were a few times that they were too overprotective and I feel like I missed out on a few things unnecessarily, but overall – I’d say they did a pretty good job.

(Aside: There was a co-ed sleepover I really wanted to go to at my friends church with her youth group. I tried to think about it rationally – I knew begging wouldn’t work, I knew sneaking wouldn’t work, I felt too guilty about lying – so I made a PowerPoint presentation. Which also failed. But I like to think that I actually did try everything.)

By: Leanne Barnes

Leanne Barnes — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 01:45:07 +0000

When you discover the answers to these questions can you please let me know. Although we are a few years behind you, some of these issues (although not boys thankfully) are rearing their heads. It doesn’t help when they have friends who are pretty much given unlimited freedom to pretty much do as they please… I find it also make it more complicated when the younger sibling wants to do the same (and be given the same freedom) as the older sibling. That creates a whole other issue!!!!

By: Diana Douglas

Diana Douglas — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 02:54:56 +0000

My former teen(age 37 now) has a teen of his own and he keeps a much tighter rein on his son than I did him. I was a bit naive about what he was up to at that age. I wish I’d had a coping strategy, but I basically just hung on and make a vow to myself to never say anything to him I would regret later. We got through it (sometimes I wasn’t sure we would) and our relationship is awesome now. He’s a great dad.
It seems to me that you’re doing things right. I wish the best to all parents–it’s a tough job.