It is difficult for every parent to give their teenager independence. You’re worried they will make mistakes, they will end up getting hurt, or that they’re incapable of doing things on their own. All of these points are likely true, but they are also essential parts of growing up. Here are four reasons to give your teen more independence.

Responsibility

One of the the biggest benefits to allowing your teen more independence is the responsibility it will teach them. There are many ways to grant your teenager more freedom that will also teach them responsibility…

• Let them use the car to do errands for you such as picking up siblings or getting groceries.
• Leave them in charge of your home while you’re gone for the afternoon.
• Teach them how to do their own laundry.
• Teach them how to make a few simple meals and then have them prepare one for family dinner.

These small acts of independency will be good practice for your teen to learn how to thrive on their own. This responsibility will also have a positive impact on other areas of their life as well, such as school and sports.

Accountability

Finding a teenager that you can count on is getting more and more difficult to find. Teenagers these days are too self-involved in their phones and social media accounts to be dependable. By giving your teen independence and more responsibility, you will also be teaching them accountability. They will better understand that their actions have consequences. For example, if they decided not to do their laundry and then didn’t have a clean pair of jeans to wear to school, they would be held accountable for that choice and then have to figure out a solution. These lessons will become a frequent occurrence in your home as your teen is given more responsibility.

Confidence

You will notice your teenager have better self-confidence as you begin to trust them with more independence. Your teen will find that they are capable of doing difficult things and then become more confident in themselves and their abilities. This confidence will translate to other aspects of their lives and help them to be more successful overall.

You Won’t Always Be There

Of the many reasons to give your teen more independence, the most important reason in that you won’t always be there for your child. If you shelter your teenager and do everything for them, you are setting them up to fail later on in life. They will eventually leave your house and if you haven’t prepared them properly, they will soon realize they can’t do anything on their own. Give your child some independence, let them fail, let them learn from their mistakes, and then watch them succeed in life.