One mother in the Palo Alto area talked about how she created a “council of moms” during the turbulent teen years. Each teen had a list of five mothers who gave the kids in the group their cell phone numbers and promised confidentiality about any topic: academic pressure, drinking, relationships. They made this group formal. If one of the kids was worried about grades, any one of these mothers would meet them for coffee to discuss. If the kids found themselves at a party without a safe ride home, they could call any of these moms at any hour, no questions asked. It wasn’t just giving kids
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