One of the first relationships a child develops is with their parents. The bond between a parent has a lifelong impact on a child’s life, and the influence of a parent affects the social development of a child and helps shape them. 

Some may say that during high school is when a child needs their parents the most. Teens go through not only physical changes, but emotional changes as well. Teens need help with school, preparing for college, relationships, friendships, and other challenges. 

However, some parents fail to meet their children’s needs when they are in high school. A senior at North Little Rock High School shares her experience with her parents. “I feel that a lot of parents tend to not care as much about their children once they hit high school. They let their children try and grow up by themselves. In my experience, my parents let me pay for everything myself and told me to figure my life out.” 

When parents neglect their children, it causes low self-esteem and makes them feel alone. “I can handle it on my own but it’s nice to have some support. I feel this situation has really made me feel like I have to figure out my entire future by myself,” says a senior at NLRHS. 

While high school students have other role models, such as friends, teachers, and counselors, support from parents encourages students to work harder. Low-quality parenting can cause bad social skills. Controlling parents can cause children to show less empathy about things and be more closed in. Some students with controlling or distant parents have to learn social skills once they leave their parents’ home. 

To conclude, it is important for students to be close to their parents during their teenage years, because it builds trust and secures a good emotional base in the future. Unfortunately, some parents don’t understand how it actually affects their kids when parents are controlling and distant until it’s too late.