What if every time you got pulled over for a speeding ticket, the cop just let you off the hook? Or whenever you missed a credit card payment, they never charged you any late fees?

Now, that might sound like a dream come true to you. But the fact is, rules and consequences become completely ineffective unless they’re carried out!

So if you’re trying to curb your teen’s misbehavior, start by laying down some boundaries. Then, the next time he crosses the line, be a man or woman of your word, and follow through!

Will your teen test you? Absolutely. So be prepared to stand your ground. He may grumble and complain now, but one day, he will thank 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.

Has your teen been spending more and more time with friends, and less and less time at home?

Often, parents feel hurt or slighted when their kids no longer want to do things with them, and hanging out with mom and dad stops being cool. But as painful as those moments may be, it’s actually a good thing!

Kids naturally begin to move away from their parents as they grow up and mature. And their desire to spend less time at home is typically a sign of healthy independence.

So be willing to loosen your grip as your teen begins to spread her wings. And continue to be a presence in her life, one that offers guidance and limitation when necessary, and grants freedom and responsibility when appropriate.

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: Aiden

You’ve done all you can to train up your child in the way of the Lord, but now he’s turning his back on faith! What happened? And how do you react? This weekend on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston offers advice on how to support your child and trust God’s plan during this difficult season of questioning.

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.

Mistakes are obviously best avoided. But part of growing up is understanding that nobody’s perfect, not even parents!

It’s inevitable that everyone fails. The trick is knowing how to “fail forward.” It means learning from your mistakes, and keeping yourself from repeating them. So here are a few ways you can practice “failing forward” in your own life:

First, admit when you’re wrong! Don’t make excuses.

Second, apologize to those you hurt.

And third, ask your teen what the consequences should be for your own failures, and carry through!

Remember, your teen will blow it one day. But if you teach them how to “fail forward”, you’ll give them an invaluable tool for every stage of 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.

Every teen faces identity issues at one point or another. But sometimes for adopted teens, the struggle escalates even higher.

I’ve seen kids pull all kinds of stunts to get questions answered about their past. Some have even tracked down their birth parents online, contacted them unexpectedly, and secretly set up a time to meet!

So if you’re an adoptive parent, don’t lose heart when your teen goes through a time of crisis. Their natural curiosity doesn’t mean they stopped loving you, or no longer appreciate everything you’ve done. They’re just a little confused about who they are.

So on the good days and the bad, continue to parent your child with the same kind of love you’ve always had. And keep following God’s example of patience, goodness, understanding, forgiveness, and grace.

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.

For most families, seasons of conflict and tension are unavoidable. So here are the two words I offer to parents in pain: “Struggle well.”

As hard as you may try to protect your teen from negative influences, some things are just out of your control. Friends, teachers, Internet, the media, all of these factors are constantly vying for your child’s attention. With so many voices weighing in, no wonder our teens are overwhelmed!

However, struggles aren’t necessarily a bad thing!

James 1, verses 2 and 3 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

So embrace the hard times when they come. They provide an opportunity for change, and a better future. Mom, Dad, “Struggle well.”

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.

Kids and adolescents are playin’ around with dangerous substances, even the junk they find in God-fearing homes!

Parents are facing a difficult task of raising kids in a culture that’s bent on creative inventions. Look, teens are hunting for any possible way to get high.  They abuse prescription drugs and common household items.  And some of these substances are even riskier to use than the better- known street drugs!

The biggest danger, though, comes when parents refuse to believe that their child might be using in the first place. It’s called denial.

So Mom, Dad, don’t stick your head in the sand and pretend that your teen knows better than to experiment!  Stay alert, and remain the protective parent your child desperately needs.

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.

Most of us wish that the positive transformation of our teens would happen overnight. But that’s not the way it works!

It’s easy to become so overwhelmed by the major problems with our teens’ behavior, that we fail to recognize progress. The key is to be patient, and celebrate the little victories.

Now, progress doesn’t mean “problem solved.” Rather, it’s a steady trend toward improvement. If your child was screaming at you every day, and now only yells at you every other day, hey, that’s progress! If your child finishes some of his homework, when he previously did none, that’s progress, too!

Remember, turnarounds rarely happen overnight. So make sure to applaud every step in the right direction, even the baby steps.

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: Lucas

You set out to raise the “perfect” children and even planned their “perfect” future. But what happens when your teen doesn’t turn out the way you expected? This weekend on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston explains why demanding perfection is never the answer. Learn biblical wisdom and grace to help reset expectations and give your teen more room to grow.

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 the mother or father of a struggling son or daughter?

Most teenage problems are caused by hormones, immaturity, and brain development. So if your son or daughter is going through a rough time, here’s some good news: it’s just a phase!  And it won’t last forever.

In the midst of the turmoil, continue to reach toward your teen with love and grace, even when they don’t deserve it. And over time, your relationship will change for the better.

Remember, God never gives up on us, even though we constantly blow it. Instead, He gives grace. As parents, we must be willing to do the same.

Mom, Dad, make it crystal clear to your teen, “I will never, ever give up on you, no matter what!” 

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.