When that happens, it's easier for them to cast parents as the bad guys, the reason why they can't do something they really don't want to do anyway. Blaming parents is a way to save face rather than risk friends' disapproval by taking the heat for an unpopular decision. But part of being a teenager is finding out how far you can push a limit before your parents step in and put their foot down. Either way, parents need to back up their limits with consequences to let teens know they mean business. We've all seen the parent who threatens and growls ad nauseum without ever making good on a warning.
Teens are quick to realize when parents are all bluster and when limits are really meaningless.
They know that when a rule is broken, these parents are incapable of enforcing the consequences. This lack of follow through makes kids uneasy. Teens want parents to be in control in potentially dangerous situations despite their protests to the contrary. It makes them feel safe and cared for. The best consequences parents can impose are something called natural consequences .