Monitoring Your Teen's Whereabouts

​Monitoring your teen's activities means knowing where he or she is, whom he or she is with, what he or she is doing, and when he or she will be home. It also involves teaching him or her about the risks teenagers may face when they participate in certain activities. It means being prepared to protect him or her from danger.

The following parenting tips from  Skills for Families, Skills for Life help parents and caregivers be more protective and keep their teenagers safe.

Monitoring Your Teen's Whereabouts

• Set rules regarding where your teen can and cannot go.
• Set expectations for your teen's behavior when he or she is at a friend's home without adult supervision.
• Teach your teen to tell you where he or she is going before leaving the house.
• Check to make sure your teen is where he or she is supposed to be.
• Have your teen check in with you on a regular basis.
• Respond with firm and consistent consequences if your teen is not where he or she is supposed to be.

Teenagers who are not appropriately monitored are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior, drug use and sexual behavior. Without proper supervision, teenagers are denied the social and emotional growth that is necessary for their healthy development.