Bài đọc:
Parents and their teens don’t always agree on issues such as dress, following family rules or how teens spend their time. As a result, arguments often occur. In fact, researchers tell us that most families experience an increase in conflict and arguments as their children enter into the teen years.
As children grow, their behaviour and attitudes are influenced by a variety of people with whom they have contact. They need to explore their world more independently so they can learn to feel confident in themselves and their abilities. During adolescence, teens begin to assert themselves with their parents and other people such as teachers, group leaders. For example, teens may now ask you why they should clean their room instead of just doing it. Often teens demand more responsibility and freedom for personal choices. They may begin to try new ways to dress, or spend more time with friends and less time with family. As their group of friends grows, parents are less likely to know who their friends are, or they may not approve of the friends their child has chosen.
Adolescents try to find out who they are and where they fit in. They want to make choices on their own, but at the same time they are not always ready to handle the responsibilities that go along with those choices. Conflicts arise most sharply when teens are 13-15 years old, but generally decline as children get older. As might be expected, younger teens need more help in making decisions than older teens because they are less capable of understanding how their behaviours can affect themselves and others. As teens get older, they are better able to consider and understand the possible consequences of their behaviours and so are better able to make important decisions.
For adolescents, the struggle for autonomy (being able to think and act independently) can be quite stressful. Although teens may behave in ways to assert their autonomy from the family, they still depend on parents for emotional support and guidance. By including teens in appropriate decision making, parents can help their children learn how to make good decisions and become independent adults.
According to paragraph 4, how can parents help their teens in the struggle for autonomy?