MA, LPC, NCC

 

If you have ever yelled at your teen for doing something wrong, imagine the following scene: 

 

 

 

 

You are speeding along a major highway to get to work on time. You look in the rearview mirror and there's a cop flashing his lights in back of you. You pull over, cursing under your breath and fumbling for your ID. All of a sudden the cop runs up to your car and screams at you, "Ok what do you think you were doing back there?" 

 

 

 

 

"Uh, excuse me?"

 

 

 

 

"C'mon, c'mon, don't play dumb. I know you were speeding, I clocked you."

 

 

 

 

"Oh, I guess I was - I'm in a hurry to get to work, I'm late."

 

 

 

 

"Yeah right. So how come you didn't start earlier? Every morning I see you speeding along this road." 

 

 

 

 

"I don't speed EVERY morning."

 

 

 

 

"Don't give me any backtalk. I'm a cop and if I say you were speeding every morning than you were speeding every morning, understand?" 

 

 

 

 

"Yes sir."

 

 

 

We assume, correctly, that there will be consequences when we are caught doing something wrong. We also assume we'll be treated with respect. Your teen feels the same way.