This investigation describes the joint goal-directed series of actions, or joint friendship projects, of 19 mothers and their adolescents. Data were collected through videotaped conversations, video recall interviews, and self-report logs collected over an 8-month period. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed joint projects characterized by the pursuit of competing priorities. Efforts to balance competing priorities are described as three forms of balancing acts: (a) organizing time for friendships and responsibilities, (b) adolescent independence with friends while ensuring physical safety, and (c) balancing inclusion in the peer context and the risk of physical and emotional harm from friends and peers.
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