Kids as "young adults"

My husband and I decided years ago that when our children reached the age of 12, we would celebrate their entry into young adulthood and begin encouraging them to make their own decisions. We wanted this to happen while they were still under our authority, so we could help them correct their mistakes. In the beginning, we controlled which decisions they could make, but as they demonstrated maturity, they earned the right to more autonomy. This approach has produced four well behaved young adults ranging in age from 22 to 15, and none of them have made truly bad choices or rebelled the way many of their peers do. Calling 12-17 year olds young adults isn't the problem; it's the abdication of parental authority by some, and the usurpation...