Teens need help navigating their way to adulthood--and that's where discipline comes in. Discipline helps teens learn how to make the right moral choices and shows them the importance of a strong work ethic.

To ensure your discipline routine is right for your teen:

• Review your rules every year. Make sure they grow with your teen--an 8 p.m. curfew won't work for a 17-year-old with a part-time job who is often scheduled to work until 9 p.m.
• Talk to your teen. As he grows older, he's likely to want to rebel against the rules. If a certain rule is causing friction between the two of you, explain why you set it. Ask what his problem with it is. But remember--as the parent, you always get the final say.
• Trust your teen. You can't always be there to make decisions for him, but you can believe that he has learned how to do the right thing.

Reprinted with permission from the October 2009 issue of Parents Still make the difference!® (High School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2009 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: "Discipline (teens)," Parenting SA, Government of South Australia Children, Youth and Women's Health Service, www.parenting.sa.gov.au/pegs/peg37.pdf.