Teenagers: it's the best of times and the worst of times. We love them with our whole hearts, and they're also hard. Some are thriving, some aren't. We are quick to point fingers back at ourselves when things go wrong, and we breathe a sigh of relief when it's going right.

In this conversation, Alex and Krista discuss parenting teenagers with Melissa Kruger, vice president of discipleship at The Gospel Coalition and author of Parenting with Hope. Melissa speaks about the challenges and joys of raising teens in a complex world. We hit on understanding the spectrum of teen experiences, the role of prayer, and the need for open communication.

Melissa discusses the significance of tailoring parenting approaches to individual children and the necessity of maintaining hope amidst challenges. Teens today are facing pressures we simply did not have. Their challenges are different, and it serves us well to try and stand in their shoes.

You will walk away encouraged and re-centered from this episode!

FIND MORE ABOUT MELISSA KRUGER

Melissa Kruger's -Website and Instagram

Melissa Kruger's Book- Parenting with Hope

SOME THINGS YOU HEARD ON THE SHOW

Proverb 12:18

The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing

SOME QUOTES FROM THE SHOW:

"I actually think it's sports and activities, it's scholastic achievement, and it's social acceptance. Those are the three, what I call, idols of our age that I think really raise the temperature in parenting teens right now."

"When you step back and say, huh, maybe it would really matter that our family had family dinners every night, and we're gonna fight for that. Maybe it would really matter that we have space to actually get a little bored and do a puzzle as a family."

"So many teens do not get the amount of sleep they need. That leads to greater rates of depression, which leads to greater problems down the road in other areas. And we're like, but they have to be at all these things (activities) or they won't be well-rounded. Who cares if they're well-rounded?"

"In the Barna research, the amount of pressure that kids feel is different than previous generations. And yes, technology is a part of that, but also just the ramp up of all of these things of doing club sports by the time you're seven or eight. All of that plays into this level of pressure and stress."

"Those simple acts of being in God's Word, being a mom of prayer, and being in church matter so I can parent well. I call it a three-legged stool."

QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU RISE

1. What is your current measure of hope with your teenager?
2. How can you better address what is going on inside of your in order to better parent your teen?
3. What of the three idols she mentioned, sports and activities, academic success, and social acceptance is most out of balance in your home?
4. What can you do to create a more healthy rhythm in this area?
5. How can you build your hope in Christ for you, for your own spiritual strength?

LET'S CONNECT!

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