Parenting teens is hard. For those that have teenagers, that statement likely fully resonates with you.
With all that has been happening over the last few years, we are starting to see the mental effects in the lives of our youth. Kids that were once resilient are now struggling in ways we could never have imagined just a short time ago.
So what do we do as a parent? Often at this phase, it seems as if we are travelling alone with no support. But I encourage you to reach out and talk to other parents. It’s extremely difficult and nerve-racking to step out and say “hey, we are struggling with our teen and we really don’t know what to do.” But, you may be surprised by the response you get as other parents nod their head in agreement and say, “us to.”
During this time, I have found that conversations with other parents facing similar situations as well as other chats with friends who have walked through similar experiences have been beneficial. It’s also been extremely helpful for me to have a safe place to share what I’m going through with others. For me, that’s what my small group with friends from church provides. Attending a small group during this time has provided me with a place to pray and share like I never have before.
This is a difficult season and I want you to know that you are not alone! I have been blessed with some amazing relationships and resources that have given me practical help. One of them is the book “Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens” by Jodie Berndt. And another is my conversation with Dr. Rob Meeder on Anxiety and Resiliency in teens and what he is seeing at Waypoint Centre For Mental Health Care. You can check out our conversation on Youtube here and the audio version here.
Rob shares about the resiliency that some teens have and how others who may have already been struggling do not have the same resiliency yet. He offers some practical steps that will help build resiliency in your child and suggests what to we can do as parents to nurture that resiliency. Rob suggests that as parents, we can provide opportunities for our kids to explore and make mistakes, to give them some freedom, and to help them work towards being involved with friends and activities again. Another tip Rob gave was to let our kids know you get it when they are anxious and encourage them that they can do this! As adults, we are supports for our kids and this will take some time.
Every family has had some fractures during these past few years and we need to work through and create healthy relationships again. It’s good for the kids to see us as parents work through these relationships and repair them. It’s ok that we are not perfect and our relationships grow as we work to repair ruptures.
Rob states that we should work to be “good enough” and not the perfect parent! Wow, that certainly makes parenting more attainable for me!
And one of the most encouraging things from my conversation with Rob was his reminder to find your hope in Jesus! Take a moment and remember that we are part of something much bigger. Keeping that in mind helps so that we don’t simply get stuck in the mire of the day and it’s many distractions and discouragements.
I would love to hear how you are doing as a parent, and what resources or conversations have encouraged you. Leave a comment below!