Parental Advisory Advised

People say parenting in more than an 18 year job. Its a life time. The age your children are doesn't change the amount you love and worry about them. But at what age do children get to stop asking for permission and parents finally realize that they will always do what they want? I wont lie there have been numerous bad situations I could've avoided if I had just asked my parents and been truthful, but those bad situations have taught me quite a few very important life lessons. All parents have pretty much the same rules (at least when it comes to girls).

1. No boys over when no one is home.
2. No boys in your room
3. No driving around aimlessly or driving places you don't know. 

All of these rules are fine for guidelines right? But lets be honest starting with No boys over when no one is home. Parents, chances are whatever you are afraid of them doing when you aren't there, they are probably doing when you are, or better yet in the back of a car. This goes along with no boys in your room, to all fathers boys are scummy pervert and just plain dangerous for their precious baby girl, but again, what you don't want them to do in their room, they are probably doing in the basement, or wherever else you allow them to go (this includes the car & school). 

As for no driving places you don't know, if you don't allow your child to do that how will they ever know it! You are creating this bubble of a few streets that you deem "okay", chances are if they wanted to go there once, they will again. Let them get lost or they will never learn.

Instead of taking the "no" approach talk to you teenager, about sex, driving, teach them directions, lay down rules such as no drinking if you are under 21, rules that have more of a legal consequence. Chances are if they don't understand why you are saying "no" because I said so wont satisfy that desire, they will probably do it anyways. At some point you children will go to college and you wont be able to micromanage what they do,  at some point a boy will be over when no one is home, or in their room, or they might drive somewhere they don't know, prepare them on how to deal with that, instead of just forbidding it. 

**Not advertising disobeying parents!**