Julie and Mike* are parents of 16-year-old, Maggie*.  They describe themselves fairly close-knit and involved parents. However, once their daughter began driving, Julie and Mike felt they were losing control. Maggie neglected established curfews, showed an attitude towards them they had not felt before, and her grades were slipping. Maggie’s social life had stepped up because of her increased independence.  At our first session with Julie and Mike, we quickly learned they had differing ideas of how to parent their daughter’s changing behaviors. Before we considered bringing Maggie in our meetings, we spent a few sessions discussing and negotiating their own expectations and agreements. Once they were clear on their joint expectations, consequences and support, they could parent on a united front and with consistent follow through.
* Names have been changed to honor the confidentiality of all our clients