As kids, we all retreated to the home of that one friend whose basement or garage was a parent-free zone -- aka, the "Hangout Home" where we felt comfortable.
"Hangout homes are places where kids naturally gravitate," Willough Jenkins, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego, tells TODAY.com.
Jenkins made a TikTok video asking parents for ideas to make their homes inviting to their children's friends:
"Tell me what did you do to make your house the one teens want to hang out at?" Jenkins captioned her video. "And I'm not talking about 'fill the fridge with soda.' I mean the mastermind hacks."
Snacks, privacy and respect were must-haves. Comments include:
Jenkins tells TODAY.com that "hangout homes" aren't fancy by definition -- they just feel welcoming to kids in middle school and high school who want freedom.
"Hangout homes" are important in the digital age, according to Jenkins.
"So much of teen communication happens in online spaces, so having a physical place to practice in-person social interactions is something I hope families can develop and cultivate," says Jenkins.
Do kids gravitate toward homes with more relaxed rules? Some do, but that's not the entire story.
"Hangout homes allow kids to have a space without constant parent involvement or intervention and don't make them feel like someone is always listening to their conversations," says Jenkins. She adds that parents who try to fix every peer disagreement they overhear from the next room take that problem-solving ability from their kids.
Jenkins says parents with "hangout homes" make their children's friends feel, literally, at home. They ask guests to help around the house, to join a family errand or to participate in family chitchat.
A hangout home isn't a consequence-free territory.
"No different boundaries or expectations for friends than you do for your own child," says Jenkins. "That consistency is important."