I am halfway through parenting the teenage years and here are some things that I have learned. Before you say, “Yes, but you only have one child,” let’s keep in mind that I have one shot at doing it right and have been the only parent in the teenage years so I can’t blame the other parent for messing it up.
- Be willing to talk when they are ready no matter how inconvenient it is. Keep lines open by asking open ended questions like, “What is the best thing going on right now and what is something you wish would change?”
- Give them the respect of an adult and the grace of a child. They are old enough to make decisions but still need to be comforted when making the wrong ones. I am not saying they get off easy all the time but we all need grace in times when we know we messed up.
- Be extremely encouraging because they are naturally hard on themselves.
- It’s more important to listen than to fix. Sometimes they have to learn that life isn’t a fairy tale. Events happen and messes up the fairy tale life. High school relationships rarely turn in to forever relationships. Difficulties arise in sports, friends, etc. Don’t add to their misery by feeding it or telling everyone about it. Instead, encourage them to keep moving forward because they are strong.
- Do little things that baby them because they still need it and secretly love it. Make muffins, post cute notes for them or send cute texts.
- Teach them to be in tune and obedient with the Lord to know what to do and what not to do. This will affect all their decisions when you aren’t around.
- Feed her current events. When you’re a teenager, it’s no longer cute if you don’t know the Vice President of the United States. (It’s Mike Pence, no need to google.)
- Serve the needy together. Homeless shelters, the Salvation Army, soup kitchens, food banks, mission trips. Giving back to others while remembering how we have been helped is important.
- Encourage responsibility in their actions, organizations, school, driving, money and social media. It is hard to take a negative action back once people see it. It is more important to be respectful to everyone.
- Enjoy them!!!! You only have them at home a few more years.
Faith Created Simple 