Your challenges in feeding your adolescent are (1) keeping going with family meals, which are the single most important factor in teen welfare, and (2) finding a balance between keeping your child part of the family and, at the same time, freeing him to find his way in the world. Find out how to continue to apply the division of responsibility as your teenager prepares to be an adult, leaves home, and becomes responsible for feeding himself. At the same time as you raise your child to be a competent eater, you will raise him to be a competent person. Research shows that competent eaters do better socially and emotionally. They feel more effective, are more self-aware, and are more comfortable and trusting with themselves and other people.