| I've been working with teenagers and their parents for | | | | the we parent is usually over-involved in some way. |
| over 25 years. If I had a buck for every time I've heard | | | | With school and grades, the parent is usually |
| what I am getting ready to tell you about, I could retire. | | | | encouraging and bugging the kid about school and the |
| How the "we parent" shows up | | | | kid is resisting. |
| While the we parent can show up in any number of | | | | What to do? |
| ways, the most common subject is around school. | | | | The we parent comes across as controlling and |
| Usually the we parent will say something like: | | | | over-involved. It's important to remember that the we |
| "We did not do well in school last year." | | | | parent is motivated by love. |
| "We got a D in geometry." | | | | So the next step is to channel that love in a way that |
| "We skipped school today." | | | | works. Many times what that looks like is putting the |
| Are you getting the pattern? | | | | child in charge of school. So then the parent can then |
| This is when I usually say something like: | | | | move on and deal with whatever area of life they |
| "What a minute, what's this "we" stuff? | | | | have been avoiding with the we parent role. |
| The reason I make a big deal out of this is because | | | | |