How to Parent a Type T Teen

Not long ago, my husband and son were trout fishing in the river that ran behind our house. On this particular winter day, the Chattahoochee was low and clear and as cold as ice. My son cast his line, and it caught on a branch that overhung the water. He pulled and yanked and tried to work it free, but to no avail. Reaching for his pocketknife, my husband prepared to cut the line.

“Don’t cut it. I want that lure,” my son yelled. “I got this!” My husband and I tried to reason with him, “Let t...