An
essential task of parenting involves helping teens learn to manage
their own health and well-being, so they are prepared for adulthood. The
C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked a
national sample of parents of teens 14-18 years old about their efforts
to support their teens’ independence.
Nearly all parents (97%) report using at least one strategy to help their teen become more independent, like allowing teens to make more choices (86%), pushing them to handle certain things themselves (74%), and no longer doing things for them (65%).
Most parents believe they are doing enough to prepare their teen for adulthood (24% strongly agree, 63% agree); those who strongly agree rate their teens as better able to handle school, financial, personal well-being and healthcare tasks on their own. Parents are nearly universal in their belief that it is important for teens to have chances to make mistakes (43% strongly agree, 52% agree), but also feel that parents should prevent teens from mistakes that are too serious (31% strongly agree, 55% agree).
Sixty percent of parents cite characteristics of their teen as the main barrier to becoming more independent, such as not being mature enough (24%), not having time (22%), or not knowing enough (14%) to take on more responsibility. One quarter of parents cite themselves as the main impediment to their teen becoming more independent, saying it’s less time and hassle to do things themselves rather than involve their teen (19%), or that they just don’t think about how to give teens more responsibility (7%).
Parent ratings of their teens’ ability to handle things on their own differ substantially across school, financial, personal well-being, and healthcare tasks – even for older teens (17-18 years) on the cusp of adulthood. Most parents say their older teens handle school matters on their own, such as keeping track of their assignments (83%) and planning time for studying (83%). Fewer parents say their older teens handle some money matters on their own, such as earning money for extras (63%) or saving for the future (46%). In terms of managing their own well-being, parents rate older teens as more independent in getting enough exercise (74%) and sleep (65%) than dealing with stress (48%) or eating healthy foods (41%). Parents reports that older teens have limited ability to handle healthcare tasks by themselves, from taking care of minor injuries (49%) to figuring out the correct dose of medicine (25%) and making doctor’s appointments (8%).
Nearly all parents (97%) report using at least one strategy to help their teen become more independent, like allowing teens to make more choices (86%), pushing them to handle certain things themselves (74%), and no longer doing things for them (65%).
Most parents believe they are doing enough to prepare their teen for adulthood (24% strongly agree, 63% agree); those who strongly agree rate their teens as better able to handle school, financial, personal well-being and healthcare tasks on their own. Parents are nearly universal in their belief that it is important for teens to have chances to make mistakes (43% strongly agree, 52% agree), but also feel that parents should prevent teens from mistakes that are too serious (31% strongly agree, 55% agree).
Sixty percent of parents cite characteristics of their teen as the main barrier to becoming more independent, such as not being mature enough (24%), not having time (22%), or not knowing enough (14%) to take on more responsibility. One quarter of parents cite themselves as the main impediment to their teen becoming more independent, saying it’s less time and hassle to do things themselves rather than involve their teen (19%), or that they just don’t think about how to give teens more responsibility (7%).
Parent ratings of their teens’ ability to handle things on their own differ substantially across school, financial, personal well-being, and healthcare tasks – even for older teens (17-18 years) on the cusp of adulthood. Most parents say their older teens handle school matters on their own, such as keeping track of their assignments (83%) and planning time for studying (83%). Fewer parents say their older teens handle some money matters on their own, such as earning money for extras (63%) or saving for the future (46%). In terms of managing their own well-being, parents rate older teens as more independent in getting enough exercise (74%) and sleep (65%) than dealing with stress (48%) or eating healthy foods (41%). Parents reports that older teens have limited ability to handle healthcare tasks by themselves, from taking care of minor injuries (49%) to figuring out the correct dose of medicine (25%) and making doctor’s appointments (8%).
Highlights
- Parents recognize the benefit of allowing teens to make mistakes, but believe parents should prevent mistakes that are too serious.
- 1 in 4 parents point to themselves as the main barrier to teen independence, by not taking the time or effort to give their teen more responsibility.
- Parents rate teens as being the least able to handle basic healthcare tasks independently, including figuring out the correct dose of medication and making a doctor's appointment.
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