If parents keep a tight control over their offspring, the teens might struggle to form relationships and are more likely to bow to peer pressure.
Published in the journal Child Development, research followed nearly 200 youngsters aged 13 to 21.
The 13-year-olds whose parents utilized emotional tactics like guilt to control them were less capable of maintaining balanced relationships in early adulthood.
The greater the psychological control exerted by their parents, the more difficult it was for teens to establish independence or closeness in their relationships.
A lead researcher said parents who used guilt, withdrawing love or emotional manipulation to control their teenage children were more likely to pressure them to make decisions in line with the parents’ wishes rather than their own.
So, take heart. Those break-away spurts of independence have a purpose. Adolescents actually need opportunities to practice decision making before they leave the nest.
On thinking back, maybe I was too controlling with my teens. Just working it out—that would be almost forty years ago. Time passes in a flash after your children leave home. My teenagers decided to move away from home and establish their own life and rules. Back in the 70s, it was easier for teens to find employment and set up a home with friends.
I guess you'll have a story to tell about your own relationship with your parents or your teens.