It’s really tough being a parent in this world. I worry about my kids differently though because they, well… are different. My daughter is 19 and a freshman in college and my son is a sophomore in high school.
THINGS WE DO AS PARENTS:
1. TRUST – I guess we trust until they give us a reason not to trust.
Yeh, I know that we have exceptional children. They are “good” kids. Good, to me, means they are hard workers, studious on their own, attend our church several times a week with us and have their faith on target, disciplined in some areas, respect others, volunteer to the service of others and pretty much are where we were at their age in life. Trusting isn’t easy even if they are good kids.
2. EXPECT GOOD BEHAVIOR:
I don’t mean they don’t do the usual goofy things like spit out the window and keep their rooms wrecked. I mean they are respectful to teachers, other adults and those around them. They don’t talk inappropriately such as cursing, they don’t intimidate others, and pick on others just for the heck of it. I expect them to act the same as the behavior we model.
3. SET HIGH EXPECTATIONS:
It has been our experience that our teens will perform to the expectations that we set for them.
4. PRAISE THEM FOR THE GOOD:
I know they do some things right! You know it too. Don’t pick a fight just for the purpose of getting stuff off of your chest. It’s not worth it. How can they know that we are proud of them if we don’t tell them.
5. LOVE THEM EVEN WHEN YOU THEY AREN’T SO LOVABLE:
So what if they screw up. They were bound to do something eventually, they teenagers. They need to know that regardless of their behavior…we still love them…we will always love them.
