by Gabby Bugwadia

Created on: March 24, 2010   Last Updated: March 26, 2010

Today, in the 21st century, parenting teens during their volatile years has indeed become a complex task. On one hand, your parental duty urges you to take charge of your teen’s behavior and activities; on the other hand, your teenager wants to be left alone and not have you hovering around to meddle in his/her affairs. So what can be the solution?

The answer is that parents today need to perform a “balancing” act; they need to understand that it is not only their commitment but also applying the right skills that could be helpful. As the demand for teen privacy is increasingly on the rise, more and more parents are driven to step in-in an attempt to keep their teens away from dangerous situations that could threaten their child’s health and well-being.

In such a scenario, the need arises for balancing teen privacy with parenting.  Here are some practical guidelines to help you in the right direction:

~Demonstrate Support

This is the most important first step. Let your teen know that you'll always be available to guide and support him/her. . The key lies in setting a middle ground wherein the parents are in charge of setting the limits and negotiating the next best alternative.

Demonstrating support could help your teen to feel secure in his relationship with you. He will be further encouraged to confide in you when you are supportive to his feelings of pain, frustration and disappointments. This will prompt him/her to exercise caution and not break the trust you've laid in him/her.

~ Show Respect

Respect is a necessary part of a healthy relationship between a parent and child. Interference in every aspect of your teen’s life is a big “NO.” Let your teen know that you respect him/her by not directly interfering with the choices he/she makes.

Sending this clear message indicates that you as a parent respect your teen’s intelligence and ability to solve problems. Parents would do well to respect their teen's right to privacy, right to feelings and opinions-even to the extent of allowing the teen to make mistakes and learn from them.

~ Empower Responsibility

Empowerment comes with freedom and opportunities to learn from mistakes and set things right. Empowering your teen with a sense of responsibility could significantly help him/her to be responsible for his behavior and actions.

Give your teen plenty of opportunities to make decisions and allow him/her to experience the natural consequences of the

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