- Parents have a hard time letting their teenagers have independence , which can have a negative impact on their development, according to new research.
- A poll from the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital finds that less than half of parents would let teens stay in a hotel room while they went out.
- Giving older kids a little freedom, but having rules, like checking in by phone and staying in a group, can help keep them safe.
- More than three-quarters (81%) have taken a trip with their teen in the last two years.
- A third (32%) of them insist their teen interacts with family members during the trip, 64% prefer it but don’t force it, and 4% don’t care.
- One in five (19%) parents admit they’ve never let their teenager be away from them while on vacation.
- Only 46% of moms and dads say they’d let their teen stay in the hotel room while they went to the hotel breakfast and just 29% would let them stay at the hotel when they went out to dinner.
- About a third (31%) of parents would let their teen walk a short distance to a coffee shop, but only 21% would let them split off from them at a museum or amusement park.
- Having rules in place can help moms and dads feel comfortable giving their teenagers a little freedom, and help keep teens safe.
- Some things that parents have tried include checking in by phone (64%), asking them to stay with friends or siblings (62%) and staying in agreed-upon locations (55%).
- More than half (59%) of parents also use the tracking feature on their teen’s phone.