There is danger on both sides. A pathological fear that if you send your child to get a pop out of the machine in the lobby, that such might mean they might ride an elevator with a peer is just a little over the top. On the other hand, the notion that everything is just ducky because our teens are hanging out with teens of parents just like us is just a little head-in-the-sand. A seething child that is always at your side has already left you. And a child that cheerfully tips his or her hat at your values on the way out the door has already left you, even if they have a nice, respectable haircut.

What you want is both proximity without apron strings, and a loyalty that runs through you to the King. This is how you grow men and women who will become brothers in arms. Otherwise you’re just whistling in the dark.