Family holidays are a great opportunity for teenage children to gain independence by spending time away from their parents.
But a new study shows that all too often, parents of teenagers are too worried to let them spread their holiday wings because they fear for their safety.
As such, fewer than half of parents are likely to leave their teen alone when they go for a hotel breakfast or out for dinner, while only one in three would let them walk a short distance to a coffee shop, according to a survey of 1,047 parents of teenagers by the University of Michigan’s CS Mott Children’s Hospital.
“Parents may believe they are shielding their teens from possible harm, but being overprotective can limit their ability to develop important life skills,” said Sarah Clark, an expert in parental perspectives on child health at the hospital.
“Allowing them some space on family vacations can be a valuable opportunity to build confidence, practice decision-making, and develop self-management skills they’ll need as they move toward adulthood,” she said.
“The holidays are a nice opportunity because families are out of their usual routines, without the time constraints of school and parent jobs. That makes it easier to find pockets of time for teens to have some independent activity,” she said.
Clark said the degree of freedom parents are willing to give their children will partly depend on their age.
“In general, we would expect big differences between a 13- and 18-year-old, because the younger teen typically would have had fewer “skill-building” experiences where they learn how to do things themselves. But on top of that, the family dynamic has a big impact, especially how much the parents are managing things the kids could be doing for themselves.”
Clark told The i Paper her top tips on preparing your teenage child to spend time safely alone on your family holiday.
