Rosemary Chretien of Weymouth, regional coordinator of Parents Anonymous, offers hope, even in the tough cases that support group encounters. But the six children who are now grown are leading happy, productive lives. There's no magic, says Mrs. Winters, a Fall River Realtor. It is, 'Try this. Many times, she's simply said her prayers and hoped that the values she's taught will stick.
Many parents work to keep their adolescents from the pitfalls they fell into.
I think at that time, you do not understand consequences, whether it is drinking and driving or goofing off at school. I never looked ahead beyond the next day. Some parents who had children when they were young now admit how little they knew when they embarked on what seemed a fairy-tale experience. Some adolescents stay with their parents well after they could leave. Actually, many young people are living with their parents well into their 20s, or moving back with them after initially striking out on their own.