How do you break out of a bad reputation? It can be really difficult and a painful lesson that one of my children is learning. It becomes even more frustrating when it’s a situation at church, and adults are involved. Youth leaders, who are supposed to be helping teens through these sometimes difficult years, yet can’t seem to let go of past behavior. Now I’m not talking out-of-control behavior. I’m speaking of a teen with an attitude and talking when you aren’t supposed to. Yet no matter how my child tries to remake herself, the old is the only thing … Continue reading →

This past weekend my family got to experience something for the very first time. We worked together to serve breakfast and hand out Christmas presents to needy families. I am so grateful for the experience and for the changes I saw in my children. I would love to say that my children went into this experience with enthusiasm but alas, the teenage thought process of the world being all about them was ruling its ugly head. One of my teens was absolutely horrified that we would have to be somewhere at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Didn’t I know … Continue reading →

I watched a Dr. Phil show the other day on teen rudeness. Apparently this is being considered a teen trend. I’m not entirely sure about that. A trend is when something is moving in a certain direction. That would imply that teen rudeness is something new. I really don’t believe it is something new. However, I do believe that it is an increasing problem. To be honest, I don’t really think we can blame teenagers. I think we have to blame the adults who allow it to start and allow it to continue. This particular couple on the show had … Continue reading →

This past week Dr. Phil had yet another show on teen trends. This one was regarding a legal substance that teens are using to get high on, tattoos and dangerous stunts. There was something he said at the end of the show that really stuck out to me. It was about dialoging with our teens. He said to listen and not judge. That can be very difficult for parents. Many times our teens really don’t make sense. Their thinking can be skewed. It can be based on false beliefs, misperceptions, deception or just immaturity. Yet no matter how “wrong” we … Continue reading →

Wouldn’t you just love to be a fly on the wall when it comes to your children? Some parents got that rare opportunity through a special done on “Dateline”. It was about what children do when they are put to the test. Parents were allowed to watch it all unfold behind hidden cameras. The entire show was very interesting, so I plan on writing some blogs based on the different segments. There was one segment where children were put to the test on whether or not they would allow a stranger to walk into their home. There were also segments … Continue reading →

You will often hear me refer to Dr. Phil as I write some of these blogs on teenagers. He does a great job at tackling some of the issues that teens deal with today. One of the running themes that I see in virtually every show of his that deals with teenage issues is a sense of entitlement. Many teens believe that they are entitled to things, not just material possessions but it can come in the way of freedom. They feel like they are so close to adulthood that they have the right to do things that adults do. … Continue reading →

Navigating the waters of parenting is difficult enough without also trying to figure out the different needs of your children. All three of my children are so different from one another. What works for one child may not work for another. Sometimes I feel like I am throwing the dice and hoping I land right. When I was a child and teenager, I was very sensitive. I took everything to heart and would cry at the drop of a hat. I internalized things too much. Throughout the years I have grown out of that. In fact, sometimes I can be … Continue reading →