This is powerful information to have…and parents need to pay attention.

A momentary walk on any high school campus will illustrate the wide disparity between the physical development of freshman boys and upper classmen. The challenge some parents with girls face is their freshman girls look much further developed than their male counterparts …thereby earning them attention of the older boys. This may be flattering and exciting for girls, but smart parents will keep firm rules about how far new relationships with older boys may go. No matter what they look like on the outside, freshmen and seniors are worlds apart developmentally.

Don’t think you have to say “yes” to all your high-school-aged daughter’s requests; you don’t. In fact, she may not show it now, but she is counting on you to make the tough calls. She is counting on you to keep her safe. She wants you to know what is going on so she doesn’t get in to situations she can’t handle.

Keep her reasonably supervised. Know where she is, and with whom. Don’t let her hang out with kids that are a lot older than she is.

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