The Great Teen Lock-Out
Category: Parenting -
Teen Years
...It was important for me to teach Summer the
difference between a closed door and a locked door. I
wanted her to understand that, in families,
separateness is an entitlement that is subject to
negotiation. As a teen, she should be learning to ask
for space, and as parents, Susan and I should be
learning to offer her space. Nevertheless, there's a
certain amount of togetherness that is required for
negotiating. The door may be closed, but not locked.
That’s because togetherness is also an entitlement in
families. And every person in the family–including
the leaders of the evil parental empire–is entitled
to ask for togetherness, and receive it, even if only
for the purpose of negotiating separateness...
