A lot of the “stereotypes” around teenagers are based on an element of truth. Being a teenager is difficult for a lot of reasons. Probably the biggest one is that physical growth quickly outpaces brain development. They’re kids who are changing into adults but lack hindsight, experience, the ability to analyze risks, and a sense of their own mortality.

I tell my teenager that everyone makes mistakes. An honest person takes responsibility for their mistakes. A smart person learns from them. But, a wise person learns from the mistakes of others. None of those things is easy and they each require a lot of humility. If you can learn to put your pride aside and be a good student of life, it makes things a lot easier.