""Teaching our children the way to behave includes teaching them respect- for self and others and compassion and empathy. These are the priorities in teaching and setting boundaries with our children," shared today's guest, Mary Romero, a life coach and author on Parent Choices for Struggling Teens. When asked what boundaries are and their significance, Mary clarified that there is a "vast difference in rules and boundaries: rules are tangible things to do or not to do, and boundaries are the invisible things we try and teach our children. Teenagers tend to test everything and are quite natural at manipulating, so it is especially important that parents need to be on the same page (to be in agreement to what the consequences are if their children cross the boundaries).

When asked what can happen if a parent is "weak" at setting boundaries, Mary explained "that is when you end up with children who believe they can get whatever they want, whenever they want, that children without boundaries tend to be followers, especially when it comes to trying drugs and alcohol. - See more at: http://www.strugglingteens.com/artman/publish/WRI-BN_120924.shtml#sthash.Xkyxpyx6.dpuf"