West Ridge Academy says that during adolescence, not only do young people develop physically, but their social and emotional selves also develop in significant ways.

Teenagers discover new things about how their bodies work, start venturing out into new areas where they can explore new skills and interest, and often begin to want to see their friends more than their families. While they're making new discoveries about their bodies, they usually begin exploring their unique talents and developing their potential, and choosing to spend more of their free time with their friends, instead of with their families.

With all these different things all changing at once, it should be clear why adolescence is always a confusing time for young people, in more than one way. For this reason, every parent needs to listen to what their teen is saying about their needs during their teenage years. Teens need to be able to find enough support, attention, good advice, and solid answers at home that they won't feel the need to seek them elsewhere.

With all the pitfalls that lie in a teenager's path, and knowing that the teenager's friends may not be aware of them or know how to step around them, many parents with teens prefer to have their children come to them for guidance regarding those sometimes uncomfortable concerns that are common to many teenagers. This way, parents can be sure their teens are getting the correct answers to the questions they have, not the potential misinformation their friends may have told them.

All parents must ensure that their teens know that all the struggles they're going through are perfectly natural and are just part of growing up. Although many parents would like to trust their teens to take care of themselves right away, in our times, dangers like date rape, drugs, alcohol, and violence are so prevalent that their teens may very well find themselves facing them. This means that parents need to give their teens more freedom a little at a time, until they know that their teens are properly equipped to face any situation that may arise, and can be trusted to make the right choice without a parent intervening.

West Ridge Academy would like parents to know that imposing a curfew on their teens is a good way to give them more responsibility at a gradual pace. Attending more social activities with peers is part and parcel of a teen's process of growing up and self-discovery. Some parents are permissive enough to allow their teenagers to date, under conditions imposed by the parents. By itself, imposing a curfew on your teen won't always ensure that he or she stays out of trouble, but it will help keep him or her safer, and with a curfew in place, you'll have the time you need to step in if the situation does go awry.

Parents must be sure that not only their teen, but also their teen's date or their friends, are aware of their teen's curfew. You should also make it clear to your teen what the consequences are for missing the curfew, such as no driving until a certain date, no cell phone, no Internet access, grounding, or something else. When establishing a curfew, be sure your teen knows that you would like to grant him or her all the freedom he or she wants, but that he or she must show that he or she can act responsibly and gain your trust before he or she can have that freedom. Adhering to a curfew is one way your teen can earn your trust.

It may seem hard to believe, but your teen needs and wants approval and trust from you, and will do the best they can to please you. Once they've proven themselves to be responsible in a few things, you can go ahead and give them responsibility for many things, and a little more freedom and independence. West Ridge Academy would like to emphasize once again that balancing your teen's freedom and your control, while remaining constantly engaged in good, open communication with your teen, is the best strategy for successfully navigating the challenges that come with this vital stage of your teen's development.