Episode 48: Supporting Teen Independence: Finding the Balance Between Safety and Freedom
Update: 2025-10-10
Description
Teenagers are wired to explore the world — but for parents, that can feel terrifying. How do you let your teen take healthy risks without putting them in danger?
In this episode, Dr Bettina Hohnen is joined by Professor Deborah Christie, a leading expert in adolescent health at UCL. Together, they explore the delicate balance between keeping teenagers safe and giving them the freedom they need to grow. Drawing on her extensive professional experience and her personal insights as a parent and grandparent, Deborah explains why risk-taking is not only normal but necessary, and how parents can reframe it as exploration rather than danger.
Their conversation covers how to manage parental fear, keep communication open, and recognise that our own backgrounds shape the way we perceive risk. They also discuss how to balance consequences with connection, so teenagers can develop the judgment and confidence they need to become capable young adults.
This discussion offers practical ways to stay steady through the ups and downs of adolescence, reminding parents that bravery, patience and perspective go a long way — and that this phase, too, will pass.
Here is a link to Deborah Christie’s website where she shares many useful resources for free: https://www.deborahchristieconsulting.com/
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