Each stage of life has its own characteristics, but adolescence in particular is one full of many changes and challenges for everyone. Starting with the adolescent himself, who is going through a transformative stage in which he begins to define his identity, to the rest of the family, who must accompany him in the best possible way during his adolescence.
Although parents continue to be their guides and responsible, during this stage we must remember to give them the necessary space for their social and emotional development, because according to a study, having controlling parents during adolescence can hinder social relationships and long-term educational achievements. term .
Published in the journal Child Development , this new study by researchers at the University of Virginia aimed to analyze how controlling parenting during adolescence influenced long-term health .
In order to analyze this, 184 adolescents in the United States were followed from the age of 13 to the age of 32 , during which time they were administered various surveys and psychological tests, in addition to conducting surveys on the perception that they had of them. people around them and capture some videos of their interactions with those close to them.
When analyzing the results over the years, it was found that those who had controlling parents at 13 years of age, had fewer romantic relationships in which they were supported at 27 years, as well as being less likely to have a serious relationship at age 32, and showed lower educational attainment at the same age.
Although no causality was found, these types of results were caused by problems during adolescence, particularly at 15 and 16 years, which included being less psychologically mature .
And it is that in adolescence, great changes occur in terms of the development of autonomy and independence of people , changes that if restricted, can undoubtedly affect social and emotional relationships in the future.
Therefore, although our children continue to need us in adolescence (and even more than before), it is important to remember to give them the necessary space to have that stage of self-discovery , where they learn who they are and develop important social skills.
Photo | iStock
Via | EurekAlert
In Babies and more | The three stages of adolescence and what to expect in each of them, “We have to get behind our teenage children to help them take off”, we spoke with Josep López Romero
