Teen Milestone: Seeing Parents as Actual People

Babies see parents as the sun, moon, AND stars. Teens see parents as real people, and that’s a good thing. Humanizing (instead of heroizing) you means you’re a realistic role model. Show them that you’re fallible, and when you make mistakes, you work to fix them. They’ll learn to be okay with being fallible, too, and when they make mistakes, they’ll learn from them and do better next time. Teens will hold you to high standards—after all, you were their first hero—but seeing you as an actual person gives them a place to aim as they head towards adulthood.

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