It's amazing to see the differences between one 18-year-old to the next. Some 18-year-old teenagers are off fighting for their country and being treated like an adult while others are content sleeping in their parents basement and asking for an allowance.
It raises the question of nature versus nurture. How much of the difference is due to a child's temperament and how much is due to the environment he was raised in? I can't help but think it's likely a little bit of both.
It's important to give teenagers guidance without acting like a helicopter mom. They need the freedom to make decisions on their own but also need a lot of help along the way. It's a delicate balance and every kid is different in how much help they need.
No matter what, though, teenagers need rules. When they break those rules, they need effective consequences that will teach them important life lessons.