Parenting Resources | Understanding & Stages
Ages 15–18
Preparing for Adulthood through the High School Years
Through the high school years and during middle adolescence, young people are preparing for adult responsibilities and independence. They are sorting through their interests, priorities, friendships, purpose, and other areas of life. Some are caught up in the everyday moments. Others focus on their futures, including work, education after high school, and making a difference in society.
Of course, teenagers may seem to need less practical help to get things done than they used to. Some can drive, and they are developing a wide range of life skills. However, they still need parenting adults—and other adults—who are there for them, guiding them, supporting them, and being with them through good and bad. During middle adolescence, they need close—if changing—connections as they continue to discover who they are and their place in the world.
Intellectual Milestones
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Emotional Milestones
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Physical Milestones
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Social Milestones
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Spiritual Milestones
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Each of these options can be ways they are seeking to “own” their spiritual commitments and practices, not necessarily active rejection of what their families value. |
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* Search Institute describes spiritual development as “a constant, ongoing, and dynamic interplay between one’s inward journey and one’s outward journey.” It occurs both within and outside of religious traditions, beliefs, and practices. See our international, multi-faith, and multicultural research in this area of human development.