Growth spurts, hormonal changes and friendship adjustments — all of these are bound to happen when your child moves through adolescence, but this time can be challenging for parents to navigate, too.
Your child’s teenage years are full of ups and downs. While childhood is fairly predictable, helping your child transition to middle school through high school can be full of surprises.
If your child is on the cusp of this transition, now is an excellent time to learn how to help them move through this formative period in their lives.
Read on to learn more.
Helping Your Child Navigate Their Teen Years
In his book, Things I Wish I’d Known Before My Child Became a Teenager, renowned author Gary Chapman offers advice for parents navigating this tumultuous time with their children. Chapman offers 12 actionable tips and kicks it off with a reminder to parents that their teens are learning how to think logically.
As adults with fully developed brains, it’s easy to forget this truth — especially when our children are questioning every decision we make.
However, Chapman urges parents to remain present during this time because, even if it feels like your children aren’t listening to you, you play an incredibly important role in their lives.
Teenagers are impacted by their environment, and, as your child’s parent, you are a huge part of their environment. “The way you respond to [your child’s] emotional state and their intellectual questions will determine whether you are a positive or negative influence on their developing brain,” writes Chapman.
While it can be easy to respond to your tweens questions with, “Because I said so,” or threaten to take away their phone privileges if they make a choice they disagree with, these aren’t always the most impactful responses.
Instead, taking the time to explain logical reasoning to your teenager can help influence them to make better choices as they grow into adulthood — while teaching them how to think critically, too. So here are three ways to be a positive influence in your tween’s life:
- Staying engaged. Be ready and willing to answer your tween’s questions, especially if they asked for permission to go somewhere and you said no. These questions might be frustrating, but your tween isn’t trying to be disrespectful — they probably want to understand your reasoning and why you reached the conclusion you did.
- Exploring real-life issues. If you’re worried about your tween engaging in dangerous behaviors as a teen like alcohol or drug use, teach them about the natural consequences to these choices. Seeing how certain choices lead to destructive outcomes can be a good teacher for curious teens
- Share the Hope of God’s Word. Make time to take a few biblical verses and share them. Ask for their thoughts on the verse or passage and how they can apply them to their young lives. Then pray together, personalizing the verse or passage. For example, “Heavenly Father just like Nehemiah asked for success and favor (Nehemiah 1:11), I ask you to bless (name of your child) today with your success and favor with his/her teachers.”
Helping your child navigate the tween years in this way will prepare them to think critically., Leveraging HopeConnect™ Everyday Moments activities will help you stay connected.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Parenting your child through their tween years can be challenging. HopeConnect™ offers you the free resources you need to be equipped to help them navigate life’s biggest obstacles. Even if you are already parenting a teen, God is with you and will give you both the wisdom and strength you need to raise your child.
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)
APPLICATION
One of the best ways you can support your children during their tween years is by building meaningful connections with them. Play emo-ME with your children to help them express how they’re feeling and talk about life’s biggest wins and setbacks.
Find it now in the Everyday Moments™ activities collection!
