A letter for the teenagers...

Do parents know what's best for you? Psychologists unpack why teens perceive parents as bossy and the science behind it

Nobody likes getting bossed around, but your parents' bossiness is probably well-intentioned. As per psychologists studying family relationships, a parent's top priority is to keep their kids safe, especially since as a kid becomes a teenager, their world becomes more dangerous. Relationships with friends can become complicated and even toxic. Drugs and alcohol become more readily available and more tantalizing. Mental health can take a nosedive, and social media doesn't help. There are a bunch of reasons why these risks increase as you grow up, but peer pressure is mostly to blame. To protect their teens from those dangers, parents have lots of strategies. They may discipline their kids by saying, "You're grounded!," or challenge them to do better with phrases like, "When I was your age, I didn't behave like that." Or they might reprimand you: "I'm really disappointed in you."