Tag teens
Whose Problem Is It?
Deep inside most parents is a strong urge to control their children. It may seem beneficial or even “work” for a few years, but there are diminishing returns if the goal of control is not given up significantly by…
Want a Responsible Teen? Start Now!
I just watched a video from a youth ministry leader. He intentionally stated one reason it’s so hard to relate to teens, and unintentionally stated the real reason. His intended explanation is that teens are hard to relate to…
6 Teenage Survival Tips that Don’t Totally Suck
In our work coaching hundreds of parents of teens over the years, we’ve hit on six themes that draw the parent-child relationship closer. Read through and let us know in the comments below which of the tips you want to…
Would Your Child Run Away?
When people steal, disobey, defy, cheat, lash out, or otherwise sin, in their hearts they leave. They leave the safety of trustworthy relationships.
Teens Always Rebel. Right?
I recently received an email that was sent out to a large number of parents from a teacher at my daughter’s high school. Her main goal was to let folks know she wouldn’t be available for conferences; however, she offered…
When Kids Just Won’t Obey: The Clash of Giants
I’ve blown it many times. But the following event stands out as an example of both a failure to live by the stuff I teach, and the power of the teaching. Upon reflection, it’s a tale of battling giants. One…
What to Do When Your Family Meeting Turns into Target Practice… Literally.
Sometimes it can be hard and scary to start something new, especially with a blended family, and especially with teenagers! See how Tom and Shelly handled things when their first family meeting blew up in their faces… literally!
Does Your Help Actually Hurt Your Kids?
“Oh, honey, come here. Let’s fix that.” Or, “Hey kiddo, let’s clean up that mess.” Nearly every parent has repeated phrases like these, perhaps many times. With small kids, there’s probably no harm in using this phrase or approach to…
Why did two teenage boys demand daily family devotions?
Zeke and Andrew are two teenage boys in a family that started building a tradition of reading the Bible together during Advent when they were pint-sized. Each night they lit the candle, read that day’s page from their advent book,…
The Golden Opportunity of “I’m so STUPID!”
“I’m so stupid, I’m SO STUPID!” Most parents at some point are faced with a discouraged, self-condemning child. That’s painful to hear. Our anxiety often drives us to try to talk a child out of their opinion, in an effort…