Parents must make that decision based on what they know about their own child. Here are some guidelines that may help:

  • High school freshman. Your teen may be ready for a later curfew on weekends. In exchange, she must be faithful to her new curfew. She must call if she will be more than five minutes late.
  • High school sophomore. Your teen learns to drive. He may drive the family car. In exchange, he is a careful driver. If he receives violations, he pays for the insurance increase. If he racks up two tickets, he loses driving privileges.
  • High school junior. Your teen chooses her path after high school. In exchange, she does the planning. She can stay within a certain budget. Or she can work on getting grants and loans. She may possibly get a part-time job to save for further education.
  • High school senior. Your teen makes many major decisions himself. In exchange, he demonstrates that he is ready to live on his own.

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