Many adolescents constantly worry about life after high school and whether or not they will make it in the adult world. Teens love their parents and learn from them. This is good news and bad news. The good news is that parents are by far the biggest influence on their teenagers. The bad news is that many parents are not an altogether great influence.
Most teenagers do the right thing most of the time.
The troubled kids get all the press, but research shows that most kids make it through adolescence without major disasters. Adolescents see temporary setbacks as insurmountable obstacles. Many teens lack proper perspective, making mountains out of molehills. This can lead to irrational decisions and perplexing behavior. Teenagers cannot comprehend that their parents were ever their age.