| Friendship is very important to teens in general, but it is | | | | and they dont help out with their household |
| not until they are around 14 or 15 when parents begin | | | | responsibilities. For these children, it is almost as if the |
| to see that their children are spending a lot more time | | | | nothing else in the world matter but their friends. If you |
| with their friends and less time with their family. The | | | | see this occurring, then a new limit must be set and |
| phone begins ringing off the wall and they may have | | | | that limit is work and then play. If this means you have |
| five chat sessions going on at once. When a parent | | | | to take the phone and the computer keyboard to |
| sees this, it is natural for them to be concerned, but | | | | work with you, so be it. When you get home from |
| there is one important parenting rule of thumb to | | | | work they should be done with their responsibilities and |
| remember pick your battles wisely.For many teens it | | | | they are allowed to have the phone and keyboard |
| does seem that this behavior is quite sudden. These | | | | back. On the other hand, if your child is still keeping up |
| children seem to be consumed with having friends and | | | | with their school work and they are not slacking |
| talk to their friends is all they want to do. Many parents | | | | around the house, then give your teens all the time |
| dont seem to catch this behavior until it suddenly | | | | they want to talk on the phone and the computer. If |
| strikes their attention one night. The great thing about | | | | this makes them happy and feel good then they |
| being a parent is that you are able to look at this | | | | should be able to do this. Now, if they begin to slack or |
| behavior and make a decision on it and it doesnt | | | | you can never use the phone when you need it, etc. |
| matter how involved your teenager is, you can set | | | | then it will be time to set some limits to get them back |
| limits whenever you feel like it. Why? Because youre | | | | on track.Remember, you were a teenager once too. |
| mom or dad and you set the limits, you dont need to | | | | You probably didnt find it too much fun to hang out |
| defend your decisions. With this in mind you also want | | | | with mom and dad either. Keep this in mind and watch |
| to look at your teenagers behavior as a whole. For | | | | for signs that they are getting in trouble. Set limits |
| some teens, they may be preoccupied with their | | | | accordingly and pick your battles wisely. Its not worth |
| friends and they let everything else fall to the side. | | | | fighting over if they are being responsible and having |
| They stop doing their homework when they get home | | | | fun with their friends. |