before have second-guessed their parents with varying degrees of subterfuge and dishonesty. This doesn't mean you should not trust your teenager, rather you should be sensible in your outlook and expectations.  Give responsibility to your teenager gradually. Follow up with them when you give them a task. Monitor the boundaries you establish. Most importantly, don't over react when you discover your teenager has lied or not acted responsibly. Don't Take it Personally When you find out your teen has violated your trust, try to remain calm and objective. This is easy advice to give, but very hard to put into practice. When you feel like your teen has betrayed your trust it is only natural to feel angry, disappointed and concerned for your teen. While it is completely okay to feel these things, it will not help your cause if you choose to let strong emotions shape your response. What is needed from you as a parent is a calm and rational response. By keeping your cool, you will be able to keep the focus of the conversation on the issue and their behavior. If your response resembles a confrontation or emotional outburst you will end up with an unproductive argument and power struggle. Children and teenagers are more inclined to lie to their parents if they are fearful of an angry or hostile response. As a parent you want to encourage and affirm honesty and openness in the parent-teen relationship. Over reactions and angry outbursts tend to create distrust