Teen Popularity: Are You Helping or Hurting Your Child?

Well-meaning parents bent on improving their child's social life can unwittingly sabotage it instead. Take this quiz to see if you recognize when you are -- and when you are not -- acting in your child's best interests. If you are less helpful than you should be, you'll learn how to become more of an asset.

This quiz was contributed by Charlene Giannetti and Margaret Sagarese, authors of Cliques.

send this quiz to a friend

see all quizzes

Your child is not invited to a party many of her peers will be attending. You:
- Telephone the mother of the party giver on another matter, hoping she might extend a last-minute invitation
- Plan an excursion with your child for the night in question, so she won't dwell on being excluded
- Tell your child she's lucky to not be part of that crowd

Your son insists on buying a T-shirt advertising a message or rock group that you find unacceptable. You:
- Lose or damage the shirt in the next laundry cycle
- Give in -- after all, his friends are wearing this stuff, and you don't want to make him appear too different
- Probe him to figure out what he's trying to express with this fashion statement and slip in your value-laden opinions

page 1 of 7