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Communicating your values has • Always take time to sit and The Stakes are high.
never been more important than it is talk to your kids. Don’t be afraid to Teenagers who don’t get what
today. And the good news is, it all be- say what you feel (but don’t ever be
gins and ends with you-Parents. We too closed to listen to what your kids they need at home look elsewhere.
must not forget the fact that siblings, think). Some run away from home. Many
uncles, aunties, church family, people more consider other ways of running
around us like neighbours also has a • Always strive to teach your from pressure and find “happiness”
role to play. kids to love and respect themselves elsewhere. This escapism can include
as children of God. A healthy love dropping out of schools, drugs, look-
Unfortunately we are living in a and respect for themselves is incred- ing for anything including sex to satis-
society, everything around us broken. ibly important for any child. It’s also fy their inner struggles.
We are living in a broken world, with the first essential step in helping a kid
broken lives. We try our best to “fix” also learn love and respect for those The Turbulent Teens.
all problems, expect readymade an- around him, and God. Teens face many pressures that
swers like fast foods. We are making
terrible blunders by following “AS it We have got a Tough Job. adults don’t take seriously. Their bod-
was in the beginning, now and ever- Most of us were never taught to ies are changing they have to adjust to
more, Amen attitude. We want some- the new person they see in the mir-
one to fix problem while we continue be parents. So we can’t help but disap- ror. They feel different. They become
in our old ways of thinking. Church point ourselves sometimes. And when interested in sex. Self-doubt is con-
must modify its ministry to help teen- our kids become teenagers, it gets even stant. They feel pressure to con-form
agers. If we don’t, we will pay heavy harder. They seem to reject everything and fear ridicule if they don’t. These
price in the years to come. When all is we’ve taught them. As far as they’re changes can be bewildering, fright-
said and done, parents have far more concerned, we know nothing. Our ening and even depressing. Teens can
influence over instilling values in their values and beliefs are constantly chal- have remarkable insights. But they
kids than any other factor. lenged. Every word we utter is seen as also surprise us with their lack of good
interference. But we’re more impor- judgment.
Here are some simple, and very tant to our teens than ever. As they try
important, things we should all re- out the values of their peers, who are Our Teen Needs Us.
member about values. more influential than ever, we coun- At the time teenagers are crying
ter the pull of drugs, alcohol, TV, Fb,
• Kids get their sense of what’s WhatsApp etc. These things entangle out to be treated as adults, they also
right and wrong from people they children every day and can ruin their need a nurturing home, a refuge.
love and respect. No one has more in- lives. And though they deny it passionate-
fluence over teaching values than you ly, they need structure, limits, lots of
do. Your input can make all the differ-
ence!
• when it comes to teaching val-
ues.... action always speak louder than
words. Kids today have a “show me”
mentality. They need to see the val-
ues lived out by you. Respect for life,
respect for other people, honesty, in-
tegrity ... kids get those from watching
you. The old saying has never been
more true ... children do learn what
they live!
• Families are still the best vehi-
cle for raising children. A loving, nur-
turing family unit, of whatever form,
creates the kind of environment kids
need to learn what’s right and wrong
... and how to love themselves too.
Values are best inculcated in an envi-
ronment of love and acceptance.
53 10CELEBRA TING
years
of god’s faithfulness
