The holiday season brings a well-deserved break for your teens. And with the break comes the opportunity to sit down and set expectations. As they mature, they’ll develop stronger opinions and it’s important to be up front about boundaries. Here are some tips for how to talk to your teen about their newfound independence while they are home for the extended break.

1.Be prepared for accountability, tougher conversations and boundaries.
Greater independence and tougher conversations go hand in hand. Your teen will have formed strong, new opinions – and that’s perfectly normal. They may also have new expectations – but relaxed curfews and less oversight require more responsibility. Be prepared to have levelheaded discussions regarding these new responsibilities and opinions.

2.Use the right language to talk about independence.
Help teens come to their own conclusions. For example, your teen has recently had to study with less supervision. Instead of getting upset at a low test score, try asking, “Was this course challenging for you? Were there obstacles that made the subject matter difficult? If so, what would you like to do to prepare for similar challenges?”

3.Recognize, Recognize, Recognize.
When your teen respects their newfound independence and gets positive results, reward them! Be sure to acknowledge their new privileges are a direct result of making good choices, and thank them for doing the right thing – coming home on time and taking care of household responsibilities without being asked are just two examples.