Effective Parenting for Teens

  • Be Heard
  • Will you know?
  • Rules & Boundaries
  • Expected Bumps

Will You Know?

  • Respect teens' independence
  • It's about safety not control
  • Explain your reasoning
  • Be a good listener
  • Talk so your teen will listen
  • Teach in a calm environment

Teach in a calm environment. Create a calm driving environment for learning and targeted discussion.

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Learning Environment
Dr. Ken Ginsburg

A safe, calm environment that’s focused on learning will help your teen get the most out of driving lessons and will decrease the chances that driving will become a new source of tension in your relationship.

The car ride is sometimes used to address concerns with our teens, or to ask questions about their lives they may consider intrusive. This can make the drive a place where teens become frustrated and angry.

Your teen needs to focus every drop of attention on the road. Therefore, while your teen is learning to drive, you should only talk about driving and non-emotional topics that will calm rather than distract the teen.

If you create the right space and atmosphere for learning, this experience can be a place where your teen not only learns to drive, but also reconnects to the fact that you’re the person to turn to for education and for guidance.






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This Web site is brought to you through a partnership of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance®.

This site offers general parenting guidelines. You know your child best. Please consider looking to local professional sources for parenting advice. School counselors, medical professionals, and clergy may all serve as resources to guide parents toward local professionals.