No parent wants to see a child bring home an ugly report card!

Okay, not every student will earn straight A’s! But if your teen is failing to follow through on basic responsibilities, like completing homework on time or showing up to class, it’s time to deliver some consequences.

Let him know that from now on, he’ll lose privileges when he misses assignments or when his grades drop. A few weeks without a cell phone or videogames can go a long way in teaching responsibility.

Hey, I know it’s hard to step back and let your teen face the outcome of his actions. But believe me when I say he’ll be thanking you later!

Your son doesn’t need to be the valedictorian! But he needs to practice the basic disciplines of learning.

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 parents split up, it can cause serious issues for their children. And while there’s no real way to fix the problems that divorce brings, you can certainly do some damage control.

After a divorce, if your teen feels isolated or disconnected, make an effort to include her in as many things as possible. If you have the freedom to do so, take her to lunch or attend her games and school events. Make sure she knows your desire to remain involved in her life.

Though divorce was never God’s plan for marriage, it’s a harsh reality in our fallen world. So if your teen is reeling from the after-effects of a recent split, be very intentional about damage control.

Your child may feel wounded. Abandoned. So go the extra mile, and draw near.

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.

Maybe your parenting style worked really well the first ten years, but hang on!

Sometimes parents are caught off guard when teens stop responding to their tried and true methods. So what changes should you make today to prepare for the coming adolescent years?

Well, first, change your aim. Rather than meeting your child’s every need, give her opportunities to take care of herself.

Second, change your purpose. Move from ruling your household, to training your child for life in the real world.

And finally, change the way you listen. That means zippin’ your lips, and opening your ears!

Mom, Dad, as your child becomes a teen, change it up a little. A flexible style will smooth out the bumps in the road, and accelerate your child’s growth.

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The scars we receive from bullies never fade, even as adults.

I’m convinced that the escalating conflicts with bullies will never end, until parents step in and model what’s right. And right now, I’d like to pray for all of us, as we guide our teens.

Father, show us how to help our kids. Teach us to intervene. Like You, allow us to become their great protector. We want to walk beside them if they’re being bullied, and we want to rebuke them if they dare offend others.

Sarcasm and biting criticism are never part of Your character. It’s never Your will that we would willfully offend or hurt the innocent. So help us to become models of Your mercy, love and grace.

Father, empower us to engage our kids as never before. In Your Son’s name we pray. Amen.

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Student Story: Maggie

When your teen and your spouse don’t see eye-to-eye, do you ever feel caught in the middle? What can you do when the strain of raising a teen is negatively impacting your marriage? This weekend on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston helps parents and stepparents work through the emotions that accompany this stage of life, and offers tips for you and your spouse to get through it together!

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 disrespect in your teen rears its ugly head, it’s time to make sure everyone understands the rules for fighting fair.

Disagreements are a natural and important part of healthy relationships. But teens need to learn how to argue with respect. So if you’ve got a disrespectful teenager at home, here’s the kind of message you can deliver:

“We love you, and that will never change. But we won’t allow you to talk to us that way anymore. We understand your need to argue your opinion, but there’s a better way to do it. So from now on, disrespectful words or actions will not be tolerated. And we’ll throw in some extra consequences to boot.”

Make sure your teen clearly understands that you’re willing to listen, but you’re not a punching bag.

Some 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.

If the paint on the side of your house began to peel, or the roof started leaking, or your porch light burned out, would you just sit around and do nothing? Of course not!

When things start to fall apart around the house, we instinctively grab a screwdriver, reach for a paintbrush, or do whatever it takes to get things back in order. And in like manner, our relationships need maintenance, too!

Has your relationship with your teen become damaged by conflict, tension, or poor communication? Sounds like it’s time for a little home improvement!

Take on this important do-it-yourself project, before it’s too late. Read a good book. Attend a helpful seminar. And above all, keep reaching out to your teen.

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 every conversation with your teen about rules and boundaries turns into a battle of wills, it’s easy to feel like tossin’ in the towel.

Teens are known for testing boundaries. But it is possible to handle their moans and rolling eyes in a way that maintains relationship, without backing down. And one of my favorite ways to do that is with the word “nevertheless.” Here’s how it works.

Instead of saying, “No, you can’t go see that movie.”

Say, “Sweetheart, I’m aware your friends think it’s a great movie, and they may be right, nevertheless, our rule is that we don’t watch R-rated movies.”

So the next time you get pushback from your teen over rules or curfew, try responding with “nevertheless.” You’ll be amazed how one simple word can turn the tide.

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.

A stepparent’s job is never easy. And unfortunately, it only gets harder when your stepchild hits adolescence.

No matter how much loving care you give, all too often stepparents experience rejection and anger from their stepchild. A stepparent becomes the target of the teen’s regret.

It might come from her sense of loss. She might even believe—incorrectly—that her life would be much happier and problem-free if you’d never come along.

So if tensions are high right now between you and your step-teen, take heart. Though you can’t force her to stop thinking the way she does, her feelings of loss won’t go on forever.

And one day, she’ll understand the other side, and see you as her solution, not her problem.

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.

Some families let arguments and fighting tear them apart. But in reality, conflict can pull a family together!

When handled properly, conflict can actually improve relationships. People who stick together through thick and thin become closer by the end. In fact, some of the teens I recall most fondly are the ones who made me want to pull my hair out!

Engaging, rather than avoiding, will teach your teen how to manage conflict well years down the road. Rest assured, the day will come when they have their first fight with a future roommate, employer, spouse, and child, too!

So don’t shy away from conflict with your teen. When it’s time to get in there and fight for something you believe in, create a model for resolution they will never forget.

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.