Your teenager wants a haircut you don't like.
They want to paint their room a color you would never choose.
They want to spend their own money on something you think they'll regret.
Sometimes the best answer is:
“Okay.”
As children move into their teenage years, they need opportunities to make decisions that actually belong to them.
Especially decisions that are reversible.
Hair grows back.
Rooms can be repainted.
Money can be earned again.
These smaller decisions give teenagers something they desperately need: the chance to experience freedom while the stakes are still low.
They choose.
They live with the outcome.
They decide whether they'd make the same choice again.
That's how ownership develops.
If we make every decision for them because we have better judgment, we may be right more often.
But they get less practice becoming wise.
This Week's Reset
Identify one reversible decision you've been making for your child that they're ready to own.
Hand it over—and let the outcome belong to them too.
Ask Yourself
Am I making this decision because my child isn't ready to make it—or simply because I would make it differently?
