Student Story: Amber

When your teen blows up and acts disrespectfully, it takes every ounce of self-control to hold back and not react! Is there a better way to handle anger and outbursts of rage? This weekend on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston teaches parents to restore peace by getting to the root of anger. Learn gracious ways to engage and redirect your teen’s frustration with appropriate boundaries.

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I can still remember the day I brought home all A’s on my report card—except for one B—and my dad wanted to know, “Why isn’t this one an A?”

Man, my dad’s comment really took the wind out of my sails.

Hey, it’s only natural for parents to want to see their child excel in academics. And there’s nothing wrong with encouraging them to do their best. But no one needs to feel like their grades are the ultimate measurement of their worth.

Mom, Dad, make sure your teen knows she’ll always be loved, whether she brings home A’s and B’s, or C’s and D’s. Don’t belittle your son for missing the mark.

Ten years from now, no one will ask to see your teen’s report card. But your teen will forever remember your 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.

According to a recent study, nearly thirty percent of kids in middle and high school are bullied. But only fraction will ever report it.

I’ve talked to students who were bullied for being adopted, for struggling in school, even for having a mom or dad pass away. There’s truly no wound too deep for a bully to avoid. They spot the pain, and go right for the target.

Yet most kids rarely report getting bullied. Sometimes they’re too ashamed to admit it, or they’re afraid of looking weak. Other times, they fear retribution and ridicule.

Parents and teachers should be on the lookout for bullies. We might never suspect what’s going on, unless we ask.

Find your son or daughter clamming up? Going into isolation? Ask the question. It’s our role to protect our teen.

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Are you getting tired of policing your teen, to make sure he gets his homework done?

Here’s something I tell the kids that live with me at Heartlight: “I don’t care about your academics. If you want to graduate on time, then graduate on time. And if you want my help, I’m happy to do anything I can.”

Now, you and I know that I’m greatly concerned about their academic work. But I make it their responsibility to get it done. They know I’m willing to help them in the process, but I’m not gonna do the work for them!

Mom, Dad, let your child take responsibility for his schoolwork, even if it means letting him fail. The lessons learned from a D or F today, will keep him from failing in the future.

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How do you love an adult child who’s making terrible life choices?

Suppose you learn your adult child is having an affair, or she’s convicted of shoplifting. What if your son starts using drugs? Or your daughter gets pregnant out of wedlock?

These scenarios might sound crazy to you right now, but moms and dads all over the country face these shocking surprises every day.

I hope you never find yourself in their situation. But if you do, remember that God still calls us to embrace our sinful kids, and offer them love, guidance, and wisdom. Even when they’re adults.

It’s your compassion, not your rejection, that will guide your adult kids back to Him. Mom, Dad, no matter your disappointment, point the way back home.

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The famous author Leo Tolstoy once wrote, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

Parents usually come to see me when their family’s in a time of crisis. When relationships aren’t working out. And when things at home desperately need to change.

Some parents assume that a few months at the Heartlight residential counseling program is all their teen needs to get back on track. But fairly quickly, they realize that change is a two way street, and parents have just as much work to do as their teens.

Mom, Dad, do you wish things were a little different at your house? Before you try to change the world, before you begin to shake down your child, think of how to change yourself.

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Student Story: Sammy

Summer time is rolling around again! And it can either be a season of strife—or a rewarding and rejuvenating break. Which will it be for your family? This weekend on Parenting Today’s Teens, Mark Gregston helps you plan to address hot topics like curfews, jobs, housework and family vacations—which can steer you toward a summer of serenity and sanity.

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.

It doesn’t matter how good a parent you are. There are forces at work in today’s culture that can send your teen spinning out of control!

Maybe you’ve just gone through a shouting match with your teen … and you’re asking yourself, “What just happened?” Maybe you’ve just discovered something ugly on his computer. Or, maybe you caught your daughter lying to your face.

To all of this, two simple words come to mind:

When your family’s in chaos, don’t quit!

When your teen says he hates you, don’t quit!

When it’s 3:00 a.m. and you have no idea where your teen is, don’t quit!

Whatever your situation, remember, God hasn’t overlooked you. Rest in His presence. And never, never, never quit.

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Parents need to spend a little less time nagging, and a little more time creating a peaceful harbor for their kids!

When our teens get home from school, we’re like, “You need to do this, and you need to meet this expectation, and this is what we want from you.” And they’re just looking at us going, “Man, can I never get a break?”

So here’s my challenge to you this week:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, go ahead and correct your teen.

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, don’t make any negative comments.

And Sunday, give it a rest!

Push too hard and you will live to regret it! Let your teen breathe! Assure him that under your roof, he will find a safe place to rest.

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 your energetic little boy has become a terror, or your sweet little girl is teetering on the brink of disaster, it’s easy to lose hope.

When you’re struggling with a wayward teen, it can feel like your world is turning upside down. Everything you’ve dreamed about has been dashed. It makes you feel like a failure.

Well, over the past thirty years, my wife Jan and I have spent countless hours with teens and their parents. We’ve seen God do some incredibly amazing things. And what I’ve learned is this: God is faithful. In the darkness, there is hope.

Listen, you may be feel like a complete failure today, but God still has a plan for your teen and your family, no matter how desperate the situation may seem.

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.