I had a fight with my mature teen. I acted like a teen and he acted like an adult. I pouted. He was reasonable. I was yelling. He was calm. I hate when that happens!
It all had to do with expectations and desires, on my part, for my mature teen son to want to hang out with his dad. Our family was apart this holiday season as my wife and younger son went to Japan and Hong Kong.
They say independence comes with the teenage years and I’ve witnessed my teenager go from clingy, in-my-face for every little thing, to closed door, on the phone, not interested in anything from Dad except what’s in my wallet. Oh, and a ride whenever he wants to go somewhere. I know part of this is good, but the other part wonders when to trust they are ready to be on their own?
Trust must be earned. Some things you just don’t trust, don’t take the risk, no matter what. A teen’s brain just isn’t fully developed, as hard as that is to believe, as the brain doesn’t really fully mature till their mid-20s and, in the case of boys and men maybe much later or never. Don’t trust me on this; do the research, as it’s a fact.
