Student Story: Sarah

Grandparents are a wonderful treasure and can act as a buffer between teens and their parents. Your voice of wisdom in your teen’s life can speak volumes! This weekend on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston invites grandparents to engage on a whole new level with their teen grandkids, and outlines some helpful do’s and don’ts for being a positive influence in a teen’s life.

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.

Parenting teens is tough work, even when parents agree on how a child should be raised. But the job gets even harder when moms and dads can’t seem to get on the same page.

Kids desperately need a cohesive and focused team approach from Mom and Dad. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to change your personality. I parent differently than my wife. My wife parents differently than me. And our two styles combined provide a varied approach to our kids, who in turn have their own personalities.

What matters most is that my wife and I work together for the same purpose, and that’s to raise healthy and mature kids.

So, are you functioning as a team? Moms and dads will never see eye-to-eye on every issue. But working together and remaining on the same page will help your kids grow up!

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.

Are you living an “either/or” kind of life? Or “both/and”?

After decades of working with troubled teens and their families, I’m convinced that life is rarely an either/or thing. It’s rarely easy or difficult, fun or challenging. It’s always both at the same time. The trick is to keep the good and bad in their proper perspective. Too often, we allow the painful situations to overshadow the good times.

So don’t let your short-term struggles eclipse reality. Remember, challenging issues are just a normal part of everyday life, and tough times won’t last forever.

Be on the lookout for things to enjoy and reasons to laugh. When you learn to smile, even when you have reasons to wince, you’re choosing to live a “both/and” kind of life. And that’s a far better choice!

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.

The adolescent years aren’t just hard on teens—they’re hard on the whole family.

If your own family isn’t currently struggling, chances are you know one who is. And if you’ve ever been in their place before, then you know what it’s like to feel worn out and beat down by teenage troubles.

So if you know a hurting family down the street or at your church, invite them over for dinner. Or grab a coffee together.

Family struggles are rough, and they’re even rougher when it’s feels like you’re facing them alone. Your simple friendly gesture, your listening ear, could be a lifeline to someone who feels like they’re sinking.

Take a risk. Make a call. Reach out to someone who needs you.

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.

Do you have an aimless teen at home who lacks motivation and drive?

Many of today’s parents are facing a generation of high school graduates who can’t seem to find direction or purpose. They won’t get a job and don’t plan to continue their education. And in their eyes, the future is just one, big, scary unknown.

So if your recent grad seems to be stuck in a rut, it’s time to get him going again. Require him to search for a part-time job or take some classes at a junior college. Encourage him to discover new interests and hobbies.

It’s okay to wander aimlessly for a while. But at some point, you need to insist on taking steps forward. Before long, he’ll be off the couch, and back on track to finding his way.

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.

When was the last time you and your family laughed so hard you couldn’t control yourselves?

Most of the time, teens are like an emotional time bomb. They walk around with a short fuse and a matchstick, just ready to explode. So if you don’t want your home to feel like a minefield of tension, try finding ways to laugh a little more.

For example, ask everyone in your family to come to the dinner table with a joke to tell. Even if they sound awkward or hokey, at least you’ll get a good laugh!

Everybody needs a little break from the pressures of life. So have fun, lighten up a bit, and quit making every conversation so serious. The old proverb is right, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.

Student Story: Mackenzie

Teens today are the most tech-savvy and plugged-in generation ever! Social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram are an integral part of their way of life. So, how can we put healthy boundaries around digital usage? This weekend on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston gives a sobering overview of the dangers online and shares reasonable limits that parents can set.

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.

Do you have a comfortable prodigal living in your home?

I find it interesting that the prodigal son in the Bible came to his senses only when the consequences of his rotten attitude left him eating with swine, far away from his mother’s home cooking. But today, many teens are living a prodigal lifestyle, while still enjoying the comforts of home! They get what they want and do what they please, all at Mom and Dad’s expense. And as a result, they never grow up.

Mom, Dad… it’s okay to give your teen what he truly needs, but don’t let your generosity facilitate his laziness! Instead, take some risks, and give your teen some personal responsibility.

One day, he’ll be fully prepared to live on his own.

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.

Does your son refuse to spend any time with your family? Does he go out of his way to avoid family dinners? Would he rather spend time alone in his room than with his parents or siblings?

As kids mature, it’s natural for them to spend more time away from home with friends. But when a teen suddenly refuses to spend any time with his or her family, it could be a red flag. Maybe there’s a bigger problem.

So if you’ve got a nagging feeling in your gut that something isn’t right, don’t ignore it! A little intolerance for parents or family is normal in every teen’s life. But complete rejection isn’t.

Take some time to investigate, and get your teen the help he needs to cope with whatever he’s facing.

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.

Does your teen know that he has your unconditional love?

Teens are naturally immature and selfish, and prone to making lots of mistakes.

Most times, their goof-ups aren’t a huge deal, like when they flunk a test or miss curfew. But when your daughter wrecks the car, or tells you she’s pregnant? Or when your son is caught dealing drugs at school, or gets busted for drunk driving? I hope you never have to face those situations. But they can—and do—happen every day.

So, are you willing to love your teen, no matter what? They need to know! Tell them this: “There’s nothing you can do to make me love you more … and nothing you can do to make me love you less.”

When your teens mess up big time, they don’t need your scorn. Your teens need your unconditional love.

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.