I’m sitting here in a bit of disbelief that I have a rising senior in my house. A kid that we were trusted to raise is just a few months shy of adulthood and a year away from heading off to college.

With college quickly approaching, the junior year in high school is said to be the most important year. The year that everything counts more. The grades. The extracurriculars. The rigor of schedule. The effort.

The stress, both on the kid and the parents, is palpable.

And since I’ve now successfully lived through this year as a parent, I have one important lesson to share with parents who have kids gearing up for their junior year.

The #1 Thing I Learned:

As much as you’ve taught them over the years—all the study habits, the time management, the skills for achievement—it’s important to remember that they’re still just kids, and they need parenting.

I know, you’re shaking your head saying “duh” right about now, but it’s easy to put kids in your stage of life and assume they are going to perform as you would at your current age. But, guess what? They won’t.

My son is an excellent student. He’s well-rounded. He’s been through school while in a pandemic and thrived. Moved across the country in the middle of 7th grade and adjusted well. But, he’s still a kid with a maturing brain that thinks and acts like a teenager, even if he’s a full 8 inches taller than me.

My point being, it’s easy to trust too much. Sure, give them leeway to forge their own path, but keep a close watch on their progress. With everything they are trying to juggle during this stressful year, they still need you to stay alert. The fact that we can get grade updates at the click of a button, or even sent to us through our apps, makes this task simple.

You’ll find that you’ll have fewer surprises come at the end of quarters and semesters, and you might be able to squash some bad habits before they get too deep.

I’ll be sure to share more tips about parenting teens, so follow along and feel free to share your feedback.