The other says:
“I am still responsible for their safety. What if something is wrong?”
Both instincts can be valid.
Parenting a teenager is, in many ways, the gradual process of learning how to protect a child while also preparing that child to become an independent adult. The challenge is knowing when to step back, when to ask questions, and when a parent’s responsibility requires taking a closer look.
The difficult part is that there is rarely a single rule that works for every family.
A closed bedroom door can
