Girls showed varying degrees of worry across grade levels. Related to the issue of getting along with parents is the issue of how decisions are made regarding teen activity. Over half of all teens reported that mothers and fathers are fair when it comes to enforcing family rules.
Parental monitoring is an important aspect of parent-child relationships.
Monitoring does NOT mean parents are intrusive and ever-present in their child's daily life. What it does mean is knowing where the child is, who the child is with, the parents of the child's friends, etc. Monitoring simply involves a parent's supervision and awareness of a child's behavior and whereabouts. High levels of parental monitoring have been found to be related to lower rates of sexual activity, drug and alcohol use. Effective parental monitoring implies an active interest in the lives of their children and a willingness to enforce family rules and raise issues that concern them.