Marsha  Sauls, Ph.D.

770-668-0350 x 221 or drsauls@dunwoodypsychologists.com

    PARENTS ARE PEOPLE TOO

“You just try to embarrass me in front of my friends! No one else’s parents care! Why do you have to be so weird?” Many parents are “bullied” by these words from their teens.  When parents succumb to this ”parental peer pressure”, family life can become chaotic and over controlled by the emotional rationalizations of teenagers.  When this happens the supervision and safe environments teens need do not exist.  PARENTS ARE PEOPLE TOO.  Not all of the rights in the world exist for teens to claim. What follows is a Parents Bill of Rights.  They are not only rights but also responsibilities of parents today.

Parents have a right:

1.      to have peace and quiet in their homes.

2.      to know where and with whom their teens are spending their time.

3.      to call and require a friend’s parents to be present  when teens visit in their home.

4.      to require their teen to not associate with negative peers and to define places “off limits”.

5.      to ask questions about drug and alcohol use, and sexual activity .

6.      to know what is in their home including their teen’s room.

7.      to define standards of cleanliness, dress and vocabulary used in their home.

8.      to define what time lights are out, and telephones and computers are shut off in their home.

9.      to require reasonable academic standards.

10. to say “no” and not have World War III.