Confessions to Parents

Studies have shown that between the ages 10-17, children tend to stop confiding in their parents and begin to push their guardians away whenever they inquire about the childrens’ personal lives. There are several reasons for this change in behavior, with the two most common causes linking to the need for privacy and independence. Adolescents typically seek independence in their actions by rebelling against their parents. To achieve this separation, some children begin keeping things from their parents in order to be able to clearly define a personal life apart from them. Although this action helps children create boundaries between them and their parents, adults are often unaware of what is happening and believe they are losing the ability to communicate with their children. As a result, parents feel disconnected from their children and begin to worry more for them. Therefore, it is crucial for parents and students to have a balanced mode of communication, promoting conversation while respecting privacy.

We provided students with an opportunity to anonymously open up by hosting a confession booth. In particular, we focused on things students wanted to tell their parents, but haven’t for their own reasons. By holding this open confession booth, we hope that students will be one step closer to possibly telling their parents about the things stuck in their minds. Here are some of the results we got: