Teenage Parenting Pursuits of the Christian ParentTeenage parenting can be a joyful, but challenging event. As a young child reaches adolescence he or she goes into a different phase of development which may be accompanied by frequent arguments due to the fact that they are learning how to reason and the hormones have started raging. As a parent, you will probably remember the times that this child depended solely on you and all of sudden they start questioning everything that you say. You may assume that they have lost respect for parental authority . Some may have, but most likely it is just part of their development. Many Christian authors warn not to write it off as a stage when a teen bluntly denies parental authority.
Why Christian parenting resources are vital to teenage parenting…
Teenagers are more susceptible to peer pressure which may lead to
teen risky behavior
and low
teen self esteem
. You no longer have to worry about whether or not they will learn to make friends. You will be more concerned about the friends that they do make and whether these friendships will nullify the Christian parenting pursuits that you took during their childhood.
Their peers may encourage them to engage in risky teen behavior such as stealing, lying, cheating, using drugs and alcohol, smoking, skipping school, self mutilation , and so forth. They may even be influenced to be oppositional to their parents and may be introduced to atheism or agnostic viewpoints. Statistics indicate that there is reason for concern about teen suicide as well. Christian parenting becomes extremely essential during this stage of development. How you handle teenage parenting can really make a difference in your child’s life and their view towards Christianity. You may be confused about the difference in tough love parenting and permissive parenting and which approach to choose. Reading Christian books about raising teens will help you decide what is best in your situation.
What if you didn’t use Christian parenting techniques before teenage parenting?If you weren’t into Christian parenting during the childhood years, parenting teens in the Christian direction will be harder, but I assure you, it is worth it and it is never too late.When I was facing adolescence issues, I bought a book by Dr. Kevin Leman entitled “Have a New Kid by Friday”. It had helpful things in it that I could use, but I was more impressed with the training techniques for younger children. I had a lot of habits that needed to be changed on my part, like allowing power struggles to go on. The tips that Dr. Leman offered concerning teenage parenting were very helpful. I just wish I would have started using them long ago!
Patience is golden, but so is persistence…When raising teens , you have to have patience, but you also need to be persistent with allowing the teen to realize that bad decisions and bad behavior result in consequences. There are some differences in disciplining teens when compared to disciplining children . In the teen years the parents' role may change from being the primary discipliner to providing guidance.
Need help in dealing with teenage parenting issues?Who doesn’t?!!! Here are some articles and resources that you can use to find inspiration and parenting tips about Christian parenting teens…The Opportunities and Challenges of Adolescence Inspiring Tips on Raising Teenagers Dealing with Self Mutilation Is sibling rivalry getting out of hand? Does your teen spend a lot of time online? Establishing (or Reviving) Parental Authority with Your Teens Tips for Improving Mother Daughter Relationships Does your teen have a problem with body image? Dealing with Health Threatening Eating Disorders Need to Know More About Goths? A Teen Parenting Reflection Need advice from a Christian psychologist? The Value of Christian Relationships Christian Harmony: Generational Praise and Worship Music Christian Book Reviews DVDs and Video Reviews Looking for Christian Chatrooms, Forums or Media Websites? P.S. If you haven’t already, subscribe now to receive my monthly newsletter “Christian Parenting Hearts”. It will keep you informed of new Christian Parenting Resources. You can also
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