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in a way that could only be seen as psychologically volatile, and big sister Britney Spears never knew a boundary she didn't obscenely cross.

Teenagers need to learn through actions about consequences. They must know that an action may have a positive or negative reaction and this fact should come as no surprise by the time a kid is in their teens. There is plenty of argument about punishment, and I am not sure where I stand on this globally. Yet parents must define consequences for their children with consistency.

This brings me to the adolescent's desperate need for consistency from their parents. They need to understand clearly what their actions will lead to every time. It seems as though parents are afraid to provide consistent consequences because they "feel bad" or it seems they fear their kid's reactions. If parents allow kids to turn the tables and assume the position of authority, how can they be blamed for their inevitable transgressions? There are parents and there are children. Parents can not be mistaken for "friends"; they must never stop parenting in a consistent and committed fashion.

It is time to make a commitment to our children and to parenting. This commitment I describe is a life long, full time job parent's take on when they bring a child into this world. They must commit to setting boundaries, parenting with consistency and establishing consequences. They must enforce this on a daily basis without fail. Does this sound like a Herculean task? Perhaps it is at times and I by no means wish to imply that parenting in this era is easy or terrain that is well traveled. Yet the alternative, as we have so clearly been shown again and again in the tabloids, and stories of tragic lost kids doing unthinkable things almost daily by the media, can't possibly be ignored.

There has to be a better way to guide our youth, than by the examples shared in this article. Without a doubt the answer is parents, parenting, and society's willingness to see some changes in the way adolescents are perceived and accept them so as to help them. There is hope for both the parents and our youth. I ask you then; will you make the commitment before that hope is extinguished? I think our kids are worth it. It is up to all of us to convince them of their worth, through guidance, patience and setting a reasonable example.

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