"testing out the boundaries"

[Odessa Dawn]

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"They’re doing what most teens do – testing out the boundaries to see how far they can push him (and you)."
More: My teenage daughters are so nasty to my husband - ...

1.To flex your muscles: acting in a way that shows power or strength
2.Put somebody to the test - Idioms
3.Test the water(s)
4.Test out
5.Boundary

I want to summarize the general idea of the underlined part but once I reached the point, things went south. Finally, I brought what I understood from the context. Flexing their muscles and at the same time striving to test his moral defense. Therefore, to know of which personality type he is. Or twisting his arm in order to get something in return, submitting to their demands, reaction, for example. Will you help me figure it out to get it right, please?

Thank you,
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[Amigos4]

OD, here is a link that will help explain why teenagers tend to test the boundaries that are established by their parents: Winning the Battle: Boundaries, Choices, and Control

Let me know if you find the article helpful.

Cheers,
A4

 

[emsr2d2]

Despite what it says in the original, we usually say "test the boundaries" (not "test out").

 

[Odessa Dawn]

Thank you, A4 and emsr, so very much for taking your time out helping and teaching others English. It is easy/simple with you. May God grant you good health, longevity and, therefore, continue sheltering you under His canopy of peace. Thank you for your unstinting generosity.
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Let me know if you find the article helpful.

Yes, it is helpful and it will be saved for a future use. Besides, as emsr said …

Despite what it says in the original, we usually say "test the boundaries" (not "test out").

"Contrary to what they say, kids need rules and boundaries. They are not able to provide them for themselves. They depend on us to provide them for them, and to make them clear. Therefore, it helps to consider: are we actually challenging our children to test our boundaries because we keep changing them? If your children are regularly testing your boundaries by challenging your house rules and expectations, observe yourself in action. Have you: 1 – determined what your rules and boundaries are? 2 – made your rules and boundaries clear? 3 – followed-through each time as you said you would? Sometimes the answer to the question, “why do our children do what they do?”, begins with us."
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More: Winning the Battle: Boundaries, Choices, and Control

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Thank you,
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