Let's make this easy: there are boys, and there are men. Now today, most the men running around are actually boys because they haven't grown up. This is because no one is raising their boys to be men. I actually don't know what they're doing. But anyway, I'm going to shatter the whole idea of adolescence, because it doesn't exist.
Alright, so first, what is adolescences? It's the stage after puberty, and before adulthood. Basically 12-18 if you had to put a number on it (however, 18 is no guarantee of adult graduation) But the thing is, the semantics are all wrong. When we look at adolescence, we treat it like some kind of late stage childhood. Which it's not. Allow me to explain.
There are children, and there are men in training. There is no such thing as late stage childhood. Our culture treats our men in training as kids with more expensive toys and a few more responsibilities. Not as a time of preparation to leave the nest and go out into the world. Not only does adolescence not exist, it's a lie that steals away the much needed investment our young men need to grow into men.
Case in point: Pretty much every teen movie made in the last 30 years. Ever watch the Breakfast Club? Great movie, and proves my point. Or how about Mallrats? The fact that roaming gangs of young men spend their time in malls is just plain depressing. And useless. But the culture has been bred into apathy. Parent's don't teach their kids anything and send them out into a world that they cannot function in.
So what can we do? Let me break it down:
1. This one's for the kids:
If your parents aren't having real conversations with you. Go have real conversations with them. Also, read lots of books, and listen to intelligent people. If your parents suck with money, go online and read books. Educate yourself and get good with money. If your parents don't know how to eat healthy, go online and learn how to eat. If you need to know how to work out, or apply for job. Ask google. It'll tell you. Go find a mentor if you're parent's aren't any good at anything. But you have to put down the video games, and Facebook and get to work. No excuses.
2. This one's for the single guys
Your job is to provide for your family and to prepare an environment conducive for raising children. That means finding a good spouse, a good source of income, and a good home (doesn't have to be a cookie cutter McMansion), but devoid of mold and stuff and like that. Then, when you do have kids, prepare a curriculum, or go find one of life skills they need to know. Educate them on it, and make sure they have the mental, spiritual and physical fitness to enter the world as men/women.
3. This ones for the parents
Dude, you're job as a dad isn't to spoil your kids rotten for 18 years. It's to prepare them to be men/women of the world. That means, investing in them. Faith, money, relationships, book smarts, street smarts, morals, ethics, self-defense, survival skills, a good taste in music. Make them work. Make them earn. And don't be afraid to let them cry it out. Life is hard, and to make it they will have to be strong. So if little Timmy is spending too much time on the video games, give him something else to do, like tying knots or learning a foreign language or something. Let them help you with the books (finances). Show them how to do them. Talk about things like debt, and wealth management. Prepare them for the world. Little Timmy isn't a boy, he's a man in training. So be the teacher/mentor that he needs.
So finally, we need to treat our young, as adults in training. Have you been to a college campus lately? Me neither, but when I was there, I couldn't believe the lack of maturity in the young people. So don't be that guy, or that parent that does nothing for 18 years and then surprised all their kid can do is play video games, and eat the food dad bought. So here it is, adolescence doesn't exist, and raise your kids.