Raising Teenagers

By: Lisa Hein

Those words have come out of our mouths at one time or another, but what do they really mean to our children?

When we, as parents, are acting foolishly, saying words we shouldn’t be saying, or indulging in things we shouldn’t be, could it be time to take a moment and recognize that maybe, just maybe, we’re giving our children mixed messages.

Laundry’s a daunting task and every mother would love it if their teen would help do the laundry. One of the ways to accomplish this would be to get the right machine that makes the work easy. Today’s washers and dryers are very cool and have many features that make laundry much less of a chore.

Hello everyone!

A friend of mine and I were talking about a parents role with the 17 - 18 year old child while they remained in the home and how involved that role should be. Many moms in our group think we are to step out of the picture at this age and simply observe from the sidelines, letting our kids meet natural consequences.

Drug abuse and alcohol consumption has always been discouraged among youth, including teens. While depression, low self-esteem and breakups in relationships are the primary reasons of teens falling to drugs, beginning alcohol consumption begins more out of peer pressure or for having fun.

Ever wondered that you’ve had a temperature since yesterday and your sixteen-year-old son hasn’t walked into your room and asked about your health? Teens’ involvement with the family, for household chores or general discussions has reduced. As a parent, how often do you ask your teens how they are doing in their geography project or on a physics assignment? If we feel that since we don’t understand geography and physics and so we don’t ask, this is a serious slip-up.

I don't know how many of you have had to face this in your own homes but I must say that I am experiencing a first here in my own. My teen daughter has become a pro at constantly retaliating everything I say with, "Why don't you trust me!" and if that fails she will often resort to, "Why to you have to make me feel bad?"

Teen dating abuse is at epidemic proportions ranging from verbal abuse right up to even death. This tragic reality among our teens has disrupted many households as moms and dads strive to protect their own teens. I have witnessed the impact from both afar and within my own home.

I want to apologize up front for the crude nature of this post. But I believe that we need to stop being afraid to talk about these issues because obviously the people who have perverted views are not afraid to voice their opinions.

As you lie in the hospital bed gleaming down at the peaceful sleeping baby in your arms you know instantly that every moment of your life has led up to this point. You know instantly that every moment yet to come will be devoted to the best interest of that child and you follow through, day after day. So what then do you do when the best interest of your child becomes challenged?

Teen angst is hardly a new dilemma. Even Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet recognizes the highly-charged emotions that every teenager seems to face as they navigate the road to adulthood. Whether this is the result of hormones, or society, or a dangerous mixture of both, the fact is that teenagers are known for their pin-wheeling emotions.