One moment you’re holding your tiny newborn in your arms and the next you’re driving him to college.

Time goes by quickly during parenthood. Over the course of a few years, our kids go from being completely dependent on us to living on their own.

It leaves us, as parents, wondering: will they be ready to venture into the world without us?

Every year, hundreds of teens leave home unprepared for living on their own. While this may mean they don’t know how to do their own laundry, it also means they don’t know how to problem-solve, handle failure, and generally act like a responsible adult.

For some teens, it’s just a matter of maturity. They’re simply not developmentally ready to jump into independent living.

For others, it’s more a matter of preparation. They’ve never had the chance to exercise the skills needed to be independent.

Over the years, adults have taken care of them – managed their schedule, cleaned their room, done their laundry…the list goes on.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is to ensure they’re self-sufficient when they leave home. Some kids will arrive at self-sufficiency on their own, but most need a little extra help to make their way. Similar to other skills (such as reading or math), the majority of kids need coaching and practice to achieve independence. [Read more…]