The world surely poses many new challenges to these future leaders. While today's teen may have a more open relationship with her parents, freely discussing topics that once would never have been talked about in the presence of adults, there remains the time-honored belief among teenagers that parents really don't understand anything. Teens still hate gym class and curfew, don't want to be seen in public with their parents on a regular basis, and have a driving need to be accepted by their peers. Sibling rivalry is alive and well, allowance has become expected instead of perceived as a privilege and McDonald's is still viewed as better than a home cooked meal. All things considered, the teens of today are equally as capable and as irresponsible as we all were at 16.
Life is an adventure, something to be excited about.
The teenage years are when dreams are formed, goals are set, love is first experienced, and is the only time that we view ourselves as indestructible. Our emotions ran amuck, our values and internal makeup were constantly challenged and revised, and our parents sighed and wondered if we would ever finally mature and be successful. We did, and they will. I secretly use my daughter's Oxy 10, and recently found myself singing along with Smashing Pumpkins on my car radio. Penny Lamb is a freelance writer from New York, a single mom with five children, ages 13 to 19, and is working toward her master's degree in journalism.