Parent-Adolescent Relationships?
Parent-Adolescent Relationships?
Content Review
- Respond to each item. Each response should be concise and between 2–3 paragraphs in length.
- Use MS Word to write your responses, and submit your answers to all three questions in one Word document.
- Copy and paste each question into the document, so your Instructor can see which questions you are answering.
Based on research presented in the Learning Resources,
Viadero, D. (2010). Parent-school ties should shift in teen years. Education Digest, 75(6), 20–22. Note: Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.
San Antonio, D. M. (2006). Broadening the world of early adolescents. Educational Leadership, 63(7), 8–13. Note: Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.
Smetana, J. G., Metzger, A., Gettman, D., & Campione-Barr, N. (2006). Disclosure and secrecy in adolescent-parent relationships. Child Development, 77(1), 201–217. Note: Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.
- identify and briefly explain two findings regarding adolescents’ attitudes toward parents, as well as two findings regarding the effect of positive parent relationships on life outcomes of adolescents.
- Describe how teen friendships have changed over the past 10–15 years, based on information in the article by Vikki Ortiz Healy. Explain why this trend is likely occurring, and identify and explain one positive aspect and one potential negative aspect of this trend.
- Explain what cliques are, why they often form among adolescents, and the impact they can have on adolescents’ social development. Then, explain at least one way a professional working in a setting of your choice might minimize negative effects of cliques when working with adolescents.
Discussion: Parent-Adolescent Relationships
In this Discussion, you will consider your own thoughts on the nature of healthy parent-adolescent relationships. Reflect on the following:
- How would you characterize the “ideal” parent-teen relationship? The teens in this week’s video program talk about the need for parents to be supportive, encouraging, and understanding. What can parents do to achieve this?
- How do you think parents can best balance the need to offer guidance and support to their teens about important issues like drugs, sex, and their education, while also encouraging them to be more independent and take responsibility for their own lives? Does one take precedence over the other?
- In this week’s video program, Randal Miller, the Residential Living Department Manager at Trapper Creek Job Corps, emphasizes that adults who work with adolescents should be empathetic toward teens, but remember that their role is not that of a friend. What about parents? Do you think it is appropriate, or even preferable, for parents to be friends to their teens? Why or why not?
With these thoughts just in mind, follow the instructions below to post your response to this Discussion topic.
Post a description of your thoughts on what constitutes an ideal relationship between parents and their adolescent children. Explain how parents might best balance the competing needs to provide support and encourage independence, as well as why you believe it is or is not appropriate for parents to be friends to their teens. Be sure to use the Learning Resources to support your thinking.
