Lot of free time

Teens with a lot of free time find ways to fill that free time. While we all want to think that our children are out in the world making good decisions and are using their free time for all it is worth, even the most well behaved teens have secrets from their parents. Secrets from parents are part of the separation process that allows teenagers to grow up. Otherwise we would simply be cultivated young adults that can’t ever leave home. However, too much free time for a child who relishes themselves as a grown up but is still growing up can be a dangerous mix.
Teens with too much free time are more likely to experiment with sex, drugs, alcohol, and other interesting and not so healthy choices. This is because they are curious, have the time to satisfy their curiosity, and aren’t likely to get caught. Those who are the most likely to dabble are those who have the majority of their free time after school before a parent returns home from work. This means that their free time is completely unsupervised and that they are much more likely to take their curiosity and their need for adulthood to new levels. Parents can help offset this free time by assigning chores, homework, and asking neighbors to keep an eye on who is coming and going from their home when they are not home. This way, a teen knows that their free time isn’t quite as free as they think it is and might rethink some of their more adult pursuits.