Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following questions.
The transition from child to adult is a hard one for parents to control. While we all want our children to grow up to become happy, healthy, successful adults, the actual process of changing our parenting techniques as our children mature is quite difficult. One of the most difficult transitions is when our teenagers start to pull away from us.
Psychologists call the process through which a person achieves a sense of individuality ‘individuation’ and it is a normal and healthy part of adolescence. Teens must separate from their parents so that they can develop their own opinions and establish independence in preparation for adulthood. People who fail to do this end up with emotional and social problems and struggle to lead independent, responsible lives.
Unfortunately, when teens individuate, it can feel uncomfortable, and even hurtful to parents. Our teens might establish an identity or opinion that goes against our values. They might bring home friends that we don’t approve of. Our teens may no longer want to share their lives with us the way they did in the past. They might suddenly think they know more than us. Try to remember that this process is normal and healthy. You can feel that the process is frustrating but that your teen is taking the necessary steps to becoming an independent adult. This stage will not last forever, and you will discover a healthy, successful adult on the other side of this transition.
Adapted from https://middleearthnj.org/2022/06/13/your-teens-fight-for-independence/
