Should we treat teens like children or adults?

I work as a substitute in an international school, and my least favourite group to teach are the 10 graders. But then again, I try to remember how I felt when I was their age. read more

No, we should NOT treat teens like adults, because they are children. Prefrontal cortex (part of the brain that is responsible for complex thinking and decision making) doesn’t finish developing until age 25. There is no way a teen can be as responsible and as reasonable as an adult when the most critical part of their brain is still growing. read more

Same thing for teens: first act like an adult, then you get treated like an adult. It's normal for teens to wish it worked the other way around, but it just doesn't. It is a foolish parent indeed who gives a teen the adult freedom and authority they want, without them first demonstrating that they can handle it. It's the way everything in life works. read more

According to Davis, treating children like adults is the answer to effective discipline and “traditional parenting” is condescending. If we wouldn’t say things like “stop pouting” or “don’t touch that” to our partner or other adult, then we should not say them to our children. read more