Take this quiz to discover if you’ve mastered this challenging aspect of parenting.
Get angry. Ground your teen until you see proof this won’t happen again.
Withhold affection. Don’t kiss your teen goodnight in hopes a lesson will be learned.
Remind your teen that he/she typically makes school deadlines. Ask what went wrong this time. Work together to figure out how to make up for the mistake and prevent it from happening again.
As soon as your teen gets home, launch into a long lecture about being careless and not taking the responsibility of driving seriously.
Ensure your teen is safe. Tell your teen you love him/her and will talk about it after you’ve had a chance to calm down and can think clearly.
Make sure your teen knows how much this repair will cost and how long it takes you to earn that kind of money. A little guilt never hurt anybody.
Tell your teen he/she is thoughtless and rude.
Scold your teen. Then lecture him/her about respecting elders.
Give your teen a chance to explain. Listen before judging. Ask how your teen might repair the situation. Remind your teen that your family values include being kind and showing respect to adults.
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