MAKING adolescesense

The wrong crowd

My two elder kids, a boy of 17 and a girl of 16, hang around with the same crowd, but I think their friends are a bad influence on them. When I allow them to go out with them, they often miss their curfew. They’re forever pushing boundaries, have become cheeky towards me and I’ve found cigarettes in their school blazers. How can I help them pick better friends?

ERIKA RESPONDS:

Unfortunately, you can’t – but there are ways to enforce boundaries. Kids need to understand that if they break a curfew, there’ll be consequences. From the beginning of the year, lay down clear rules and punishments