I once heard it said that raising teens is like holding a wet bar of soap: too firm a grasp and it shoots from your hand: too loose a grasp, and it slides away. A gentle but firm grasp keeps it in your hand. One of the greatest gifts we can give to our kids is the gift of reasonable and loving boundaries. Boundaries help our kids to recognize right from wrong, to stay safe within the confines of God’s will and way, and to teach them the self-control that will serve them well as they take on responsibility for themselves for the rest of their lives. When your kids look back on their growing-up years, they will thank you that you took the time to teach them that there truly is right and wrong in a world that works so hard to teach them otherwise. But you must also remember that one of the greatest teaching tools is experience. As they grow older, hold them more loosely, allowing them to make mistakes and to learn by suffering the consequences of those mistakes. Remember, you are preparing them for life.