Clubs, teams, youth groups and community organizations can foster a sense of belonging. In the new millennium, we want our children to have life skills to deal with a range of possible opportunities and the confidence to put their talents to use. Especially important is how teens get over roadblocks. So don't jump to their rescue at any sign of difficulty. The teen years should be more about self-discovery than about selfishness.
Teens actually thrive on making contributions to causes, which help foster a sense of fulfillment.
And this feeling is strong enough to compete with the thrill of a lot more risky actions. Many a kid has been rescued by doing for others than by having others do for him. Point the way, being mindful of what things in particular, as opposed to a burden of commitments, will resonate with your child. We can't make all the decisions for our teens. We had our turn.