Teens who display this one important quality during adolescent friendships, go on to be great parents according to research
Teen friendships shape parenthood in unexpected ways
A study has shown teens who display a very important quality during adolescent friendships, go on to be great parents - and it's fascinating.
Teenagers often have a bad reputation, with parents reporting struggling to get through to them, while they confuse everyone with their teenage slang words. Alternatively, there are teen myths that are not true, and they aren't all lazy and rude, as a new report suggests.
A study of 184 teens showed how their adolescent friendships prepare them for parenting. The group were followed for over 30 years, starting from the age of 13. Each year, group members selected their closest friend to take part in the study with them. Attending a lab in their chosen pairs, the friend asked for advice on a problem, and responses were scored in relation to four core aspects of empathy: Emotional support, instrumental support, emotional engagement, and interpretation of their friend's problem.
When members of the group began having children, they were asked different questions relating to their parenting style. This came in the form of 12 hypothetical situations where their child expressed a negative emotion, and they relayed how they'd respond - their responses were labelled supportive or non-supportive. The results showed one important correlation - those who had been more empathetic teens, made more supportive parents.
The study also delved into how much empathy participants received from their own parents. Unsurprisingly, those with emotionally supportive parents appeared naturally more empathetic towards their friends, continuing to emulate their upbringings into adulthood.
Although the teens with unsupportive parents sometimes became harsh parents, this wasn't always the case. Some were able to break cycles of poor empathy, and despite difficult upbringings, were still able to demonstrate keen empathy in their adolescent friendships despite this not being inherently nurtured.
Speaking to Psychology Today and commenting on the study, Dr. Jessica A. Stern concludes "Adults often underestimate the importance of teens being able to spend time with their friends. But experiences in close, supportive friendships as a teenager are actually really important for healthy development. Our findings suggest that adolescent friendships may be an underappreciated but essential context for developing critical social skills like empathy, responding appropriately to difficult emotions, and even - later - parenting."
GoodtoKnow Newsletter
Parenting advice, hot topics, best buys and family finance tips delivered straight to your inbox.
For more on teens, if you have one who won't revise, try some expert-backed tips. Concerned about a teen who won't socialise? A child development expert shares their thoughts. Reflective parenting could help your teen with their big emotions - here's what you need to know.
Lucy is a mum-of-two, multi-award nominated writer and blogger with six years’ of experience writing about parenting, family life, and TV. Lucy has contributed content to PopSugar and moms.com. In the last three years, she has transformed her passion for streaming countless hours of television into specialising in entertainment writing. There is now nothing she loves more than watching the best shows on television and sharing why you - and your kids - should watch them.
-
'I realised I needed to loosen up!' - 4 ways watching a four year old play with toys has changed my life
This is how hanging out with my four-year-old nephew and playing with toys has impacted the way I look at the world - and I'm sure parents can relate
By Sarah Handley Published
-
Princess Diana’s former royal butler reveals why there’s pressure on Prince William to continue his late mother’s work and ‘finish her legacy’
The late Princess's work had 'only just begun' when she died and Prince William is keen to carry it on
By Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse Published
-
What is sadfishing? How to talk to your teen about this online trend, and the impact on mental health
Have you been wondering what is sadfishing? An expert shares why parents should have a conversation with their teens about this potentially dangerous practice.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
9 ways to let teenagers take positive risks this summer, according to an expert
Help boost your teen's independence and confidence this summer with these small, manageable risks.
By Adam England Published
-
What are 'Mickey Mouse' degrees? Expert reveals why this term is unhelpful for teens making higher education choices
What are 'Mickey Mouse' degrees? For teens embarking on those all-important higher education choices, it's an unhelpful term.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
4 tips to help teens cope with exam results disappointment, as experts warn A-level and GCSE results could be lower this year after post-pandemic ‘grade inflation’ stopped
Exam conditions returning to pre-pandemic levels this year could see a downturn in results. A psychologist shares 4 tips to help teens deal with disappointment.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Has your teen searched for the leaked exam papers online? Amount of students caught 'cheating' has doubled, here's everything you need to know - including consequences
In light of the exam paper leak, Ofqual announce the consequences for those found searching for them. This comes as the number of students found cheating doubles in six years.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
Giving teens ‘space and opportunity’ to be independent helps them thrive according to an educator - here’s 3 top tips to get started
Teenagers need to be given space and opportunity to thrive - a sense of agency will set them up for success in later life, according to an educator.
By Lucy Wigley Published
-
New research has linked video games to teen psychosis - here's what parents need to know
Teenagers who spend a lot of time playing video games are more likely to have a psychotic experience, according to a new study.
By Ellie Hutchings Published
-
Meta under fire for 'highly irresponsible' minimum age change on WhatsApp, as investigation finds children are being exposed to 'terrifying' content
Social media giant Meta has been criticised by campaign groups and politicians for lowering the minimum age of use on WhatsApp to 13.
By Ellie Hutchings Published