Balance

How do parents remain balanced while watching their teen take flight?

(1) Keep your feet on the ground. Connect with nature. It may be your best antidote to the wild, risk-taking teen. I take daily walks around a nearby pond. It nourishes my senses and give me balance.

(2) Be patient. Take things slowly. Fruit that is harvested too soon is bitter and hard, but given the opportunity to ripen, its inborn sweetness emerges. Your teen is likewise ripening and maturing. Don't hurry the process. Surrender to this time. Relax and try to have fun with your teen. If you make a mistake, learn from it.

(3) Protect yourself. As parents, sometimes it's best to withdraw into our shells and wait out the siege. Later, we can take action to prevent it from happening again.

(4) Rest. The passage to adulthood is arduous for your teen -- and fatiguing for you. Rest is essential for parents. Step out of the way and refocus on yourself. Take breaks, even vacations, from your teens.

(5) Let the lessons of tai chi inform your parenting! Lead by letting teens follow their own nature and be their own guides. Step back and allow negative force to pass by you, then return love. Conserve your energy for when you really need it.