Good morning teens! Heres another mistake we parents make. Have a great day!!! Top Ten Mistakes Christian Parents of Teens Make by Jeff Strong...continued 6. Trying to be your teen’s best friend. Your teen doesn’t need another friend (they have plenty); they need a parent. Even through they’re teens, your child needs a dependable, confident, godly authority figure in their life. As parents we are called to provide a relational context characterized by wisdom, protection, love, support, and empowerment. As Christian parents we’re called to bring God’s flourishing rule into our family’s life. That can’t happen if we’re busy trying to befriend our teen. Trying to be your teen’s friend actually cheats them out of having these things in their lives. Sometimes parents think that a strong relationship with their teen means having a strong friendship—but there’s a fine line that shouldn’t be crossed. You should be friendly to your teen but you shouldn’t be your teen’s friend. They have lots of friends, they only have one or two parents—so be the parent your teen needs you to be. 5. Holding low expectations for your teen. Johann Goethe once wrote, “Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be, and he will become as he can and should be.” All of us rise to the unconscious level of expectation we set for ourselves and perceive from others. During the teenage years, it’s especially important to slowly put to death the perception that your teen is still “a kid.” They are emerging leaders, and if you engage them as such, you will find that over time, they unconsciously take on this mantle for themselves. Yes, your teen can be moody, self-absorbed, irresponsible, etc., but your teen can also be brilliant, creative, selfless, and mature. Treating them like “kids” will reinforce the former; treating them as emerging leaders will reinforce the latter.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 14:25:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015