Strategies for parents

One of the most powerful strategies a parent can employ during the teen years is casting vision for the future. Three practical ways of doing this are:

·    Helping teens view this season as a time of preparation

·    Helping teens discern God’s voice

·    Helping teens protect their hearts and the hearts of others

Our culture seems to treat the teen years as the only time in life to have fun and be merry. Few people see this as a unique time for preparing to fulfill God’s call and destiny. I’ve heard many parents say to their teens, “Oh, these years are special. Have as much fun as you can.” When the emphasis is on all play and no preparation, teens are cheated from growing in God and learning life skills that will be a blessing in the future. In Parenting News, Windy Echols says, “…It is typical for young women to want to spend time with boys, but not spend time preparing to be the wife of a man.” In the same article, she laments her own lack of preparation during her teen years, “Although in my teens I was interested in homemaking skills, I was encouraged to be just a teenager. ‘After all,’ they would say, ‘you’re only young once.’”

Parents can cast a vision for the teen years as a time of preparation for pursuing God’s will and practicing to hear His voice. The young man or woman who can discern God’s call and has prepared to serve people is the kind of spouse for which everyone wishes. In the Bible Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.” John 10:27 (NIV) How wonderful to spend the teen years as a training season for hearing God’s voice. With this outlook, every challenge in a teen’s life could be turned into an opportunity for learning to recognize God’s voice and follow His direction.

Another key aspect of these preparation years is helping teens understand the value of protecting their hearts as well as their friends’ hearts. This process begins with knowing that emotions will come, but that we don’t have to be driven by our feelings. Of course, in our “if it feels good do it” culture, this can be a continuous battle. Parents can be allies in these situations as they remind their teen to seek God first, for real love and wisdom that only He can give.

Along with her husband, Gary, Vivian Padilla-Chapman has been homeschooling her two children, Daniel and Sara since 1991. Daniel just completed his 2^nd year at  Georgia Tech as a President’s Scholar this fall and Sara just graduated high school. Vivian holds a B.A. in Mass Communications and an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from the University of South Florida. First published in The Mother’s Heart magazine, a premium online publication for mothers with hearts in their homes. Visit www.The-Mothers-Heart.com for more information