The Parent Planner Extraordinaire

Does this remind you of anybody you know? Parents love to be the problem solvers for their teens. It gives them a feeling of being needed at a time when it feels like the parenting job is being phased out. But then comes that moment when it  seems like your teen really really wants you to tell them what to do, and you jump at the opportunity. Unfortunately unless what you want them to do, is something that they want to do, this golden opportunity becomes just another argument to win or lose. Your teen kinda wants your help, but at the same time they want to feel like they can figure it out for themselves. What they don't really need is a problem solver, but a problem facilitator.

Rather than going for the "here's what I think you should do." Go for the "so what do you think you should do!