Parent-teen connectedness, online & off

Pediatrician Trish Hutchison and ob-gyn Melisa Holmes, authors of the "Girlology" books for girls 11-16, say that "leaders in the field of adolescent health" call parent-child connectedness a "super-protector" for teens. They say it can have positive effects like fostering teen self-esteem and coping skills, reducing violence and drug use, and improve social relationships. In their book site the two docs have 10 tips for parents on how to connect with their teenage children. It looks to me like they apply just as well to parents of boys. I especially like the last four and have used variations of them many times myself when talking to fellow parents (the authors elaborate on the following on the page I link to above): "Be a parent more than a friend…. Learn the art of active listening…. Don’t freak out over anything [they] tell you - at least not in front of [them]…. [and] Encourage safe risk-taking." All the tips are applicable to their online lives as much as their offline ones.