Few things are as frustrating as having your parents try to run your life. As a teen you are trying hard to find your own place in the world. Making decisions for yourself, be those choices good ones or bad, is something that helps you do that.

Your parents have been teens, they know that you often need to make mistakes to learn from them. So why can’t they sit back and just let you live your life?

Why Your Parents Interfere

Your parents can’t sit back and watch you make mistakes because they love you. It’s hard to understand when you don’t have children yourself but parents find it physically distressing to know that their children are up to things that could do them harm.

If your parents think that you are hiding things from them in order to do things they wouldn’t approve of they can get anxious. Their anxiety makes them act more strictly toward you. It is a vicious circle. When your parents fear for you nothing else matters as much as keeping you safe. If they fear that you will suffer physical or emotional harm from your choices they will try to run interference. It’s in their parental nature.