Teen Behavior Contracts
Posted by teenissues on June 23, 2008
Are parent/child contracts right for you? Well…it depends.
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What are parent/teen contracts? These are agreements that are signed and agreed to by both the parent and the teenager. They can cover a wide range of topics. Some websites and therapists recommend that you write your own, but there are a few services that sell a pre-packaged set that you can edit to fit your family situation. Included topics could be – dating, driving, cell phone/internet use, chores, general behavior, drugs, alcohol, curfew, computers, grades/school work, and many other topics depending on age range.
Do we recommend behavior contracts? We are not in a position to recommend anything because we don’t know your situation. They are cheap if you buy them or if you want to take the time to write your own it’s free. I have a few school teacher friends who say they use them in their classroom, but that is between the student and the teacher. So I don’t really know anyone who has used them for parenting.
Are they effective? Since they are a relatively new concept – I have no clue! If I were you – looking into behavior contracts for a teen or child – I would probably go to a discussion forum or try Yahoo Answers to see if any parents have tried them. Always remember though – what worked for someone else might not work the same for you, but it could be worth a try. I tried to find some studies on the web about effectiveness of these contracts and haven’t been able to find a credible resource that has hard numbers to show pro or con.
This is not a recommendation – that being said – here is a link to parent teen contracts. Disclaimer: I have not used these. I am not affiliated in anyway and receive no compensation if you buy them. This link is just for your information to show as an example of a behavior contract service. I also found some information about writing your own on FamilyIQ.com that you might want to check out.
Also, there are a few parenting books related to this topic in a roundabout way – where they recommend the use of good behavior and bad behavior cards or tokens. Good behavior tokens get turned in for rewards that are preset by the parent/child agreement.
As always – for recommendations on your individual situation – consult a licensed professional in your town. Ask for references – not just yellow pages! Look for a licensed family therapist or adolescent therapy professional.
