Five Basics of Parenting Adolescents

The Raising Teens Project identified five significant ways in which parents can influence healthy adolescent development—the Five Basics of Parenting Adolescents:

  • Love and Connect
    Offer support and acceptance while affirming the teen’s increasing maturity.
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  • Monitor and Observe
    Let teens know you are paying attention.
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  • Guide and Limit
    Uphold clear boundaries while encouraging increased competence.
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  • Model and Consult
    Provide continual support for decision making, teaching by example and ongoing dialogue.
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  • Provide and Advocate
    Provide a supportive home environment and a network of caring adults.
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Researchers agree that the essential role of parents really changes very little from childhood to adolescence. What can and must change are the strategies for carrying out this role.

Research in no way suggests that “one size fits all.” Rather, these parenting strategies offer starting points from which to adapt ideas that fit the characteristics of each family, culture, circumstance, and teenager.