Some parents become less involved as their children grow up. It doesn’t take a genius to know that children need more direct support from their parents when they’re young than they do when they’re teenagers, but that doesn’t mean a parent can lie low and do nothing. Parents need to be involved in their children’s lives for their entire childhoods, but that involvement looks very different when they’re 15, 16, and 17. Even if a teenager technically can do their laundry, make their own meals, and get themself to school, it’s highly irresponsible to assume they’re going to do that without parental supervision and support. If you’ve ever eaten a meal made by a 16-year-old, you probably know it wouldn’t be wise to let them feed themself three meals a day indefinitely. Teenagers need parents too, and you can’t just clock out of being a parent when the going gets tough.