Parenting doesn’t always get easier as kids get older.

While many will focus on the sleepless nights and tantrums of early childhood when it comes to the struggles that parents face, it could be argued that the issues that they come up against when their kids are older are just as impactful. Once children become teenagers, it is a parent’s responsibility to prepare them for the adult world—right at the time when many kids want to pull away from the influence of their family.

How much support should be offered to teenagers and young adults by their parents is something that everyone seems to have a different opinion on. Some are militant about cutting the apron strings as soon as they turn 18, and others feel like it is more of a gradual process. When it is done bit by bit, there can be crises over how it can be handled appropriately.