My 15-year-old boy sneaks out of the house. What can I do?

My answer to My 15-year-old boy sneaks out of the house. What can I do? Answer by Thomas Zerbarini:

15 year old kids crave independence and freedom. They need and want to learn some things on their own.

Consider your statement of “a strict household.” I completely support good discipline, establishing rules and boundaries for children. As our kids get older they need more freedom to express and explore and learn.

I like the way Dr Julie Carbery put it in the article on Family Life,

Enter Dr. Julie Carbery, an adolescent and child psychotherapist, who has seen and heard it all in her twelve years of family practice. "What's going on is freedom. Freedom is cocaine to a teenager. It's intoxicating. It's addictive. And it is often their biggest motivator. They will do anything to get it, and they are terrified of losing it."

This article has great input and advice on managing teen freedom and building trust with your teen.

Freedom The Teen Addiction

Further, a great article on Positive Parenting Your Teen give a good broad spectrum of points to consider as you shift from young child to Tween/Teen parenting skills.

Parenting tweens can be a challenge. Here's how to stay connected.

I’d like to add that listening, patience, non-verbal gestures of Love, and consistency with your growing and changing children is so important. I’d consider them the foundation to good parenting.

Thanks for the opportunity to share and comment.

Thomas Zerbarini

My 15-year-old boy sneaks out of the house. What can I do?