In order to be sure your teenagers abide by the house rules, be wary of the following points:

•    Your rules must be distinctly comprehended.

•    You must observe and keep a watchful eye on these rules.

•    Constant reinforcement of these rules must be attended to.

•    The penalties for disobedience must be utilized to prevent non-compliance.

Comprehending Your Rules: Your Teen should know what they mean!

Mix-ups, confusion, and misinterpretation can all become outcomes of not being distinct with your set limits or guidelines for your teenagers. Never assume. It’s not right for you to presume your teenagers know exactly what you mean when you say “Don’t come home late” as much as you can think that they know exactly what’s right for themselves.

In teenage time, “late” may actually be around 2 or 3 am, while past midnight is late enough for you. Be detailed with your limits or guidelines. This will lessen the chances that a mix-up will occur. If you really want to be clear about things, maybe even have him/her make a summary of your guidelines and have them read it back to you- just to make sure you’re both on the same page.

Observation: Keeping a Watchful Eye on Your Rules

Observation is a key element in the implementation of rules for your defiant teen. Why set up limits if no one’s even looking? Parents must keep a keen eye on their children and their actions. You may not have to set up camp in your daughter’s bedroom if she dutifully rushes up to bed by 8pm sharp.

But then again, if she’s used to sneaking past the front door around 1 in the morning, then maybe that’s not such a bad idea. Your concentration of observation may all depend on your teenager and how much he/she needs to be checked on. Keep in mind that you needn’t be sneaking around to do this.

In fact, your teen should know that you’re observing her behavior. This is so as not to provoke feelings of invasion on your teenager’s part and it may even actually lead them to becoming more aware of their actions.

Now, as a parent, how can you do your observation? You needn’t hire a private detective, but by following simple tactics you can find out what you need to know. For example, after letting your son out one night with the car you can check the odometer and see if its values go along with his story. Parents can help each other out as they look out for one another’s children.

This way you can make sure that your daughter is really out with her best friend, joining their family picnic. Of course, by all means utilize the school’s guidance department and get in touch with your teen’s level representative in order to know what’s going on in school.