b'HELPING YOUR TEEN SEPARATE GONE ARE THE SIPPY CUPS AND MID-DAY NAPS. NO MORE CHOOSING THEIR OUTFITS AND HAND-PICKING THEIR BEST FRIENDS. IT FEELS AS IF IT HAPPENED OVER NIGHT, BUT ITS ACTUALLY BEEN A 17-YEAR PROCESS. By Dr. Melanie Ross Mills| ContributorLetting go will be one of the most difficult processes youvefreedoms. And this cycle continues. experienced as a parent. Youve poured your heart and soulAs the parent of a teen, you have two choices. You can hold into this child for the past 17 years, so its hard to ease up.on tighter, which creates a false illusion that you have more However,youcanrestknowingthatyouvetaughtthemcontrol than you actually do. Or, you can accept that your right and wrong. They know what you believe and whatsteen needs to separate for their personal growth and ma-important to you. Its now time for them to be given the op- turing. Understanding your teens phase in life can help not portunity to make some decisions on their own. (Key wordonly your emotions and responses, it can also help your re-being some decisions, not all.) lationship with your child. This can be challenging when you know that your teens brain isnt fully developed until the mid-20s. At times, youSUGGESTIONS TO HELP TEENS SEPARATEwitness unwise choices and immature responses. How can you let go? The key to letting go is to do so in stages. AsNo 1Give them opportunities to succeed and to fail. From theyre proving themselves responsible, you can let out thesetting up a bank account with an allowance to not bringing rope. As they show unwise choices and behavior thats not inthem the lunch they forgot. keeping with your family value system, you pull back some 56GoodLifeFamilyMag.comMAY | JUNE 2019'