While parenting can certainly get frustrating, for at least the early years of your kids’ lives you have a lot of control. Thing is, as they get older...that starts to fade, and a new study suggests that control is completely gone by age 13.
A study of 2,000 parents of teenagers aged 13-18 finds that 60% of those polled feel like they’ve lost control of their kids, with 10% suggesting they started losing that control as early as 10.
And that control can cover who they're friends with, or even what they eat. In fact, 39% of parents say they don’t know who their teens hang out with, while 40% don’t know what their kids are eating and drinking when they’re not with them. But a lot realize their kids are hiding what they consume, since 43% say they’ve found sweets and food wrappers hidden in their child’s bedroom or school bag.
Of course, there are also some dangerous habits parents say they are clueless about. The poll finds that while about 40% of parents think their kid has tried an alcoholic beverage, 44% of kids say they actually have. What’s more, while only 16% of teen parents think their kid has tried a cigarette, the truth is about 20% have. Or at least admitted to.
- 60% of parents of teens ages 13 to 18 feel like they’ve lost control of their kids, with 10% suggesting they started losing that control as early as 10
- 39% of parents say they don’t know who their teens hang out with, while 40% don’t know what their kids are eating and drinking when they’re not with them
- While about 40% of parents think their kid has tried an alcoholic beverage, 44% of kids say they actually have, and while only 16% of teen parents think their kid has tried a cigarette, the truth is about 20% have
Source: SWNS Digital