Few moments in life spark more maturation than when a young person recognizes that her parents have strengths and limitations that were in place long before she came along and that will be there long after she moves out. In letting go of the dream of turning you into the perfect parent, your daughter recovers a lot of energy that has been devoted to being angry with you, feeling hurt by you, or trying to change you. And there are many more important directions for an adolescent’s energy to go: toward her studies, toward building healthy friendships, toward planning her future, and, of course,
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