Psychology Today | 16.06.2026 21:43
When I was holding my firstborn child and admiring her every movement, others would marvel at my excitement for her sheer existence. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to enjoy that moment. A well-meaning family member looked at me with concern and said, “Just wait until she is a teenager.” I felt determined to prove them wrong, but it still shook me to the core. She was not alone; other well-meaning adults would try to prepare me for the doom that her teenage years would be. At the time, I was finishing my Ph.D. as a family demographer. Naturally, I wanted to know: Is this really inevitable? Or is there something parents can do?
