What's your big regret? Parents" regrets from their teenage years But speaking to 1,000 teenagers, the study found 70 per cent of youngsters thought their parents did have an important role in their decision-making. Michael Lynas, chief executive of NCS Trust, said: "In an increasingly competitive world, making good decisions as a teenager is really important. Our research shows that parents want to help their teens avoid some of the mistakes that they made - and that young people want to listen to their parents. While formal education is important, extra-curricular programmes like National Citizen Service are there to help young people experience staying away from home, face new challenges, learn to be self-sufficient and make well informed and balanced decisions about their future. This will not only help young people find the right university and the right job, but also to choose the right path to have a healthy and fulfilled life. Parents" regrets from their teenage years: 35% regret not investing time in considering their future 26% regret not studying hard enough 18% regret not going to university 16% regret not experiencing living away from home 16% regret being frivolous with their money 14% regret their choice of A Levels 12% regret focusing too much time on boyfriends/girlfriends 12% regret smoking too much 12% regret drinking too much 11% regret not having a part-time job What is your biggest regret? Decisions teenagers consult parents over: 31% how they spend their money 24% choice of university 23% university course 23% A Level subjects 20% extra-curricular activities 19% group of friends 19% future career choice 10% relationships Top 10 parent wishes for teens before they fly the nest 44% would like their teens to learn to cook for themselves 41% would like their teens to have made their own money 37% would like their teen to learn to stand on their own two feet 37% would like their teen to learn to manage their money 29% would like their teens to have developed the confidence to stand up for themselves 29% would like their teens to make friends outside of school 28% would like their teens to have thought about their future career choice 24% would like their teens to learn to overcome failure 24% would like their teen to have travelled 21% would like their teens to have taken an interest in the world around them by volunteering / being active in the community