Strong relationships are developed by becoming involved in the life of your teenager.
Kevin Huggins in his book, Parenting Adolescents makes this statement about the value of involvement with your teenager. “Involvement with a teen, unlike a child, must be offered mostly on his terms, that is, mostly on his turf. A parent must show interest in the things his teen is doing, thinking, and feeling. He must enter his teen’s world and become a part of it, discuss with him the things that trouble and preoccupy him, communicating a desire to be with him as he experiences and decides how to live in his world. This kind of involvement with a teen often requires parents to enter a world that is in many ways strange and unfamiliar to them, uncomfortable and perplexing to say the least. But unconditional involvement always requires parents to take this kind of initiative. Conditional involvement requires just the opposite. It forces the teen to come into the parents’ world to find the involvement he longs for – and few adolescents are willing to do this for very long. Maintaining and deepening your relationship with your teen then, depends primarily on you and your teen, then, depends primarily on you and your initiatives to offer unconditional involvement, no matter what the cost.”
One way to be involved with your teenager is to engage him/her in conversation related to the topics that are being discussed in youth group.
On Wednesday night, January 9 Pastor Jim introduced to all the students a new series on identity. He shared with the students about the loud voice that comes from the world about identity. Pastor Jim said that the world is shouting that you can find your identity in sports, friends, success, athletics, wealth, clothing style, etc…. These claims are not true! Pastor Jim also talked about the soft voice which is the truth from God’s word. He encouraged students to listen to that voice. A book mark on identity was created by Student Life and was given to each teen that had attended youth group. I would strongly encourage you to pick up a book mark for yourself at the information center. This would be a great tool you could use to create conversation with your teen. Share with him/her some of the pressures you experience related to the worlds voice about identity. You could also look up some of the passages provided on the book mark and share together each of your thoughts.
Part of parenting is to help your teenager enjoy and trust the person of Christ. Colossians 1:28-29 says, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect [mature] in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”
Taking the initiative to get involved in the life of your teen is so important! Remember that God is always with you!