Yes, you think you ve done a good job raising them, but the best parenting around can t keep some people out of trouble. This isn t to say that your child is smoking pot in his spare time, but you might use the potential of your walking in at any time in order to encourage him not to do things you would disapprove of. Later, however, when you know that your child has been raised well and is a good kid, when you know he won t be doing drugs or building bombs, then is the time to knock before entering. Your teen should see this as a sign of implicit trust. No, you need to have done all your parenting before they leave.
Problems crop up when parents don t respect their child s privacy.
That s preposterous. Privacy is utterly important, especially in when taking care of personal hygiene. Here is a prime example. If your kid is building a bomb, they can t hide everything in the time it takes for you to knock and open the door. Give privacy, but be reasonable.